Bebop Zen
by Arashi-Chan13
Summary: Faye goes to find Spike, but doesn't realize the folly of her actions. Jet goes out to find a bounty, and instead finds a woman. The three cowboys try to find their zen in a hectic universe. sxf Complete.
1. Prologue: Folly

Bebop Zen

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Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or it's characters.

Prologue: Folly 

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            "You're going to get yourself killed!" boomed Jet, his temper boiling over.

"I don't care!" retorted Faye shoving her way past the tall, fuming man.

"Well, you should! You're thinking about running into the middle of a blizzard of Red Dragons!" reasoned Jet following Faye into the hangar. His injured leg screamed at him in protest. "These people are part of a crime syndicate! You'll never survive an encounter…"

"What if he's still alive?!" shouted Faye cutting off her comrade.

He started at her stunned and unable to come up with a response. Faye stopped short of her Red Tail and stared at the floor. "I…I don't think I'd be able to live with myself knowing I never even tried to help him," she said quietly.

Jet watched her in silence as she hopped into the Red Tail and started up the engine. He shook his head and left the hangar before she took off.

***

By some odd twist of fate, Faye easily found the area Spike had graced with his presence. There was debris and scattered corpses everywhere. She warily waded through the wreckage checking each fallen victim as she passed.

About twenty minutes elapsed and she began to grow desperate. She scanned the terrain around herself frantically. Suddenly, she noticed a long set of stone stairs in the slight distance. In the dying sunlight she could barely make out the black mass lying on them. She crept cautiously through the shadows approaching what she hoped was her fallen comrade.

A brown trench coat. A tuft of fluffy dark brown hair. A pool of dark blood beneath the body. Faye choked on the sob threatening to force its way out. She fell to her knees beside him and gingerly placed a hand of his cheek. He was still warm, but barely. She shut her eyes tightly fighting back the tears. Relief and anxiety flowed through her in waves as she racked her brain for a plan of action.

After a few minutes of ill success, she resorted to rolling Spike over to examine the extent of his injuries. If they weren't too bad, she could move him. Her heart almost stopped when she heard a faint moan of protest while she was rolling him onto his back. Her eyes scanned quickly over the numerous slashes and bullet wounds on his body up to his face.

He grimaced before his eyes opened to narrow slits. Eyebrows raised and his expression fell into confusion. He struggled to speak but couldn't find the strength.

Faye was in shock. She stared down at him wide-eyed and dumbfounded. She had absolutely no idea what to do. It was then that she had a sudden revelation. She would call Jet! He would know what to do even if he was still mad at her. Climbing to her feet, she took out her comm. link and started dialing. As it beeped, she looked down at Spike and smiled briefly. He was still regarding her with a lost expression.

"Don't worry. I'm calling Jet. He'll help us…"

Her voice was abruptly cut off by the deafening sound of a gunshot. Her gaze shifted from Spikes as she felt the impact of the bullet. It tore clean through her torso and radiated intolerable pain as her body collapsed to the stone steps.

Spike watched the whole scene in dismay. He saw everything as if it were moving in slow motion. Her speaking reassuring words to him, the gunshot cutting her off, the crimson splatter that erupted from her back, her body falling to the steps…

_No,_ he thought_. Not again…_ His thoughts were interrupted by another gunshot. Shortly after this, Jet came into view shock and worry written all over his face. Spike assumed he had taken out the gunman that had shot Faye.

With a heavy sigh, Jet dropped to his knees and gathered Faye's bleeding body into his arms. He shook her lightly after checking her pulse. "Goddammit, Faye…I tried to warn you," he grumbled, his large frame bent over her small one. "Faye. Faye! Can you hear me?" he asked her loudly.

Faye responded by coughing up a bit of blood and beginning to openly sob. It was a horrible, ragged sound that deeply disturbed Jet as he held her.

"Oh, god…I'm going to die…" she wept trying unsuccessfully to curl into a fetal position. "I fucked up, Jet…I fucked up…"

"Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine, kid. I just need to get you to a hospital," reassured Jet tightening his protective grip on her. As his words sunk into her mind, she began to visibly relax. Jet's eyes wandered to Spike for a moment before returning to Faye.

Spike read Jet's momentary gaze perfectly. If there was ever a man who's eyes told stories, it would definitely be Jet. Right then, he had told Spike that this was all his fault, and naturally, he would be the one trying to fix everything. There was disappointment, grief, guilt, regret, relief, worry…so many different emotions reflected in the older man's stern blue eyes.

Spike sighed to the best of his ability and closed his eyes. The pain grew worse with every shallow breath he took.

_Was one woman really worth all this sorrow?_ he asked himself. _Was she worth all this death?_

He never came up with an answer and soon slipped quietly into unconsciousness.  


	2. Session 1: I am Something of a Dreamer

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop.

CH 1: I am Something of a Dreamer… 

Faye woke with a start and bolted upright in bed. Her hands instinctively flew to her torso searching for the bullet wound. The smooth skin beneath her finger tips confused her. It was then she realized she was only wearing a camisole and underwear. The sheet covering her had been pushed aside when she had hastily sat up. She gazed around the unfamiliar surroundings in wonderment. Hardwood floors, no furniture besides the large bed, tall, dark walls…the sound of the ocean…

"Where am I?" she whispered to herself.

A soft snore beside her was her only response. She jumped, startled by the sound and turned to view the intruder. She beheld unruly dark brown hair with green highlights and the smooth, tan skin of a bare torso. His face was turned from her and buried in a pillow, but she knew exactly who it was.

"Spike," she said flatly. 

She turned her emerald eyes to the wall behind the bed and gasped. It was all glass, and the vast, dark ocean churned beyond the numerous, glass panes. She saw a dim reflection of white and had the sudden urge to get a better look at the sea. 

Quietly, Faye slipped from the bed and walked slowly along the glass wall until she eyed a balcony. The silk curtains gently caressed her porcelain white skin as she stepped outside. The warm breeze smelled familiar. She couldn't describe the smell, only that she had experienced it before. The reflection of white light distracted her. She followed its glow along the dark surface of the water and up into the sky. Her breath caught in her throat.

"The moon…" she whispered in awe. The glowing orb hung whole and complete in the sky. It was not a shroud of comets stuck in the earth's gravitational pull as she had recently come to know it.

The sound of slight movement behind her made her whirl around in a conditioned response. There stood Spike clothed only in boxers with a stolid expression on his face. Faye turned around and stared at the ocean.

"Where are we?" she asked in a barely audible tone. 

"We're dead," stated Spike simply.

Faye nodded as if his response was perfectly acceptable. If this was what happened to you after you died, it couldn't be all that bad. She heard a spark and turned to see Spike lighting a cigarette. His eyes met hers and she silently asked for one. He obliged, tossing her the pack. When she had one in her mouth, he politely lit it for her.

"Thanks," she offered not bothering to ask him where he had gotten the cigarettes in the first place. In death, simple questions seemed meaningless.

As Spike stared at the moon, a cigarette hanging from his lips, he wondered why he wasn't with Julia. He had gone as far as to avenge her death with his own, so why couldn't they be together at last? The answer came from an unseen, ominous force. It whispered to his mind in the voice of a gentle female much like a goddess.

_Your fate lies elsewhere,_ spoke the goddess. _You have wronged those closest to you, all in the name of selfishness. You helped instigate a chain of death._ The goddess paused as a crippling pain flared in Spike's chest. _Do not be in pain. Your heart is good. That is why you will be given another chance…to rectify some of that which you have wronged. You and this woman shall live…_

"No…" whispered Spike as the cigarette fell from his mouth to the floor of the balcony. 

Faye heard him speak and turned around. He had an odd expression on his face. It seemed to be a mix of shock and angst, she guessed. She approached him cautiously. He still stared at the moon.

"What's wrong?" she asked placing her warm hand on his bare shoulder.

He turned his troubled gaze to her and she almost gasped. For the first time since she'd met him, she saw a genuine sad emotion radiating from his eyes. She could see the grief and exhaustion in them…she could see the sorrow. 

"We're not dead," he said adverting his eyes and shrugging off her hand. He bent down and reclaimed his fallen cigarette. As he wandered to the edge of the balcony he mumbled. "Not even death would have mercy on me…"

"If…we're not dead, are we dreaming?" she asked trying to ignore his last comment.

"Probably," he shrugged.

"It's her, isn't it?" she asked staring at the moon once more. "You're upset because she's gone again." She paused for a few moments and got no response. "She's dead…I overheard you when you told Jet…"

"Faye," he cut her off. "Don't." His voice was stern and cold.

Faye became irritated. Had she risked her life for a man that couldn't care less about her? She heatedly threw the pack of cigarettes to the floor.  

"Sometimes you are such a prick, Spike!" she spat scournfully. "Acting like nothing happened isn't going to make it go away! If you loved her that much the least you could do is properly mourn her!"

Faye turned on her heels and stormed into the bedroom. She plopped down on the bed with a sigh and stared through the glass at the ocean. She felt like such a fool. Of all people, why had she fallen for such a cruel, emotionless man?

Spike stood stunned on the balcony for a few minutes. Faye's words had really hit him hard. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He should mourn Julia. So, why couldn't he muster up the emotion to do so anymore? Had her death hardened his heart? Too many questions. He flicked his cigarette butt off the balcony and walked back into the bedroom.

Faye sat on the bed hunched over, a curtain of ebony hair shielding her face. Spike moved through the room and sat next to her on the opposite side of the bed. It was then that he noticed she was silently crying. He didn't know what to say, he never did when women cried. He resorted to putting a hand on her shoulder as she had done for him.

She instantly recoiled from his hand as if it had bitten her. "Don't touch me, you selfish bastard!" she screamed so loudly Spike winced. He stared dumbly at her. "I risked my life for you!" she sobbed. "And you don't even care! You don't care about anyone but yourself!"

Spike racked his brain for a witty retort, but came up blank. As he watched her cry, a stinging emotion started to eat away at his gut. He couldn't tell whether it was grief or guilt. Out of some bizarre impulse, he reached out and took Faye's struggling body into his arms.

Faye tried to throw off his arms, but quickly realized she hadn't the strength. Spike was much stronger than he looked. He held her with a tenacity he very rarely displayed. She began to settle into his embrace as his scent overwhelmed her senses. Her body relaxed and her sobs subsided. She felt the sudden urge to put her arms around him, but couldn't budge them from their current position. It didn't matter, though. Nothing mattered at that moment. She sighed. 

As Spike loosened his grip on her, she made a soft sound of protest. Pale arms wrapped around his torso and her head rested against his chest.

"Don't let go," she whispered sadly. "Please, hold me…I can't stand the cold…"

He obeyed returning her embrace. "You know," he said, his voice low, "Julia had once spoken similar words to me. Sometimes…you remind me so much of her."

Faye blinked back some tears. "Is that good or bad?" she asked listening to his heart beat.

He pondered the question before responding. "I used to think it was bad…I felt like one day you might kill my love for Julia. So, I tried my best to ignore or insult you." He fell silent for a couple minutes. "But now…now, I regret treating you like that. It wasn't your fault you reminded me of my lost love."

Faye never responded. He had said enough. Arms still holding fast to each other, they settled into a lying position. Soon, their breathing became slow and rythmic as they drifted off to sleep. 


	3. Session 2: The Garden of Eden

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 2: The Garden of Eden

            Jet sat on the bridge of his ship and brooded over the events of the last two months. They had been difficult and stressful months. He remembered the hardship of trying to deposit Spike and Faye discreetly at a hospital. He remembered watching over them as they healed. He remembered the outrageous bill they had racked up, which cleaned out his savings in its entirety. He remembered being stranded on Mars collecting bounties by himself to earn back the savings mostly for repairs. 

After being discharged from the hospital, Spike and Faye had been pretty worthless as bounty hunters…or people for that matter. All they seemed to have done the past month was eat and sleep. They rarely even spoke. Jet thought they were acting oddly despondent.

Heaving a hefty sigh, he gazed out the windows of the bridge. The Bebop slowly approached Venus, where the latest and greatest bounty awaited him. As he stared at the sea green orb and it's swirling, vaporous atmosphere, sadness began to settle into his heart. For most of his life, he had always tried his damndest to view things with a positive attitude. No matter how horrible times seemed, he always managed to keep his head above water. But recently, his optimism had failed him. Not even his beloved bonsais seemed to give him peace of mind anymore.

Telling himself he didn't know why he felt so down would be a lie. He knew damn well why he felt so disconcerted. He missed his old crew. He missed Edward, the little spark of life and happiness he had grown so fond of nurturing. He missed Ein, his loyal companion when everyone else was gone. He missed the obnoxious, loud-mouthed minx that Faye used to be. He missed the nonchalant enigma of a best friend that Spike used to be. He had never realized how lonely he was until they had all come and gone from his life. Sure, two of them were still there, but only in the flesh. Their spirits had both greatly dwindled.

Jet sighed once again and brought the Bebop to an idle just outside of Venus's orbit. On his way to the hangar he stopped in the common room and shouted to no one in particular that he was going out. 

His comment received no response.

With a stale expression, he proceeded to the hangar and climbed into his personal ship, the Hammerhead. The engines roared to life and he was gone seconds later.

            As the hangar door closed, Faye peeked her head out of her bedroom door. The coast was clear and she was hungry. No, at this point, she was famished. Cautiously, she crept down the hallway praying she wouldn't run into Spike. Strangely enough, they hadn't really spoken since they'd returned to the Bebop. She didn't know why they were avoiding each other, only that it seemed like a mutual understanding. She assumed their near death experiences allotted them both time to rediscover life alone. It was a rational assumption, though it caused her great sorrow. The last thing she wanted was to be alone.

            Faye paused before entering the common room. She had half expected to see Spike's lean figure stretched out across the faded, yellow couch. But it wasn't. Staring at the barren couch began to disturb her. She rushed past it and into the kitchen.

            She couldn't really see where she was going. Energy conserving Jet had turned out most of the lights before he left. The kitchen had always been rather dim though, even with the lights on. Today, it was practically pitch black. The sound of her bare feet hitting the metal floor echoed softly as she instinctively avoided colliding with any objects. She eventually found the fridge and sighed in relief after she discovered there was indeed food in it this time.

            Most people thought leftovers were disgusting, but on the Bebop they were a delicacy. Faye nearly squealed in delight when she found a portion of chicken alfredo –with chicken – that Jet had cooked a few nights ago. It was hidden in one of the bottom drawers but still fair game in her opinion. She carefully removed it from the fridge and fished chopsticks out of a drawer, praising Jet's organizational skills. 

            Just as she lifted a piece of chicken to her mouth, she heard a lighter flick. The brief ignition of a flame followed revealing the sneaky culprit to be Spike. She frowned before shoving the chicken into her mouth. So what if the fluff head had caught her red handed?

            Spike stood silent for several minutes only barely illuminated by the glowing ember of his cigarette. Faye continued to eat irritated by his mute presence. She wanted to yell at him to get the hell out of the kitchen, but her pride wouldn't let her condescend to speak first.

            "Were you planning on hogging that all to yourself?" came the snide comment she had been waiting to hear. 

            "Yes," she replied curtly with a snort. He was becoming predictable in his old age.

            "Thought so," he retorted simply as he continued to puff on his cigarette. "How does your wound feel?" he asked after a considerable pause.

            The question caught her off guard and she was glad he couldn't see the shocked expression on her face. Or maybe he could.

            "It…uhm…well…it…" she struggled to find the words to describe how her first healing gunshot wound felt. It still hurt quite a bit at times. She supposed the damaged muscles would never truly be the same again. Two ugly scars had formed where the bullet had entered and exited marring her formerly perfect, pale skin. She had grown horribly self-conscious of her abdomen and vowed never to wear a mid drift top again. She still remembered the mournful night she had tossed her yellow outfit into the incinerator. All these thoughts passed through her mind and words failed her. 

            "Hey…are you alright?" asked Spike letting a shred of concern leak through his apathetic façade. He could see her face, thanks to the aid of his mechanical eye, and noticed it go through an array of emotions before settling on melancholy. He approached her slightly. 

            Faye bowed her head as stepped closer to her. She felt a few hot tears slide down her cheeks. Why did she always cry when she felt this frustrated? No…it wasn't frustration. It was loneliness. Or a combination of both.

            "Are you…crying?" asked Spike confusion evident in his voice.

            He was too close. Too close to her body. Too close to her weaknesses. And to think, this was the first time he had spoken more than two words to her in two months. All of a sudden, sadness turned to anger. She clutched the container of leftovers with sure hands and shoved it into his gut. Dropping his cigarette, he exhaled painfully, so she figured she must have hit one of his wounds. 

            "Eat up," was all she said before running out of the kitchen.

            Spike stared at the door perplexed for several minutes, one hand holding the container, the other scratching his head.

            _Are women always this confusing?_ he wondered. He tried to think back to Julia, but he had never spent enough time with her to say for sure what she was really like. He eventually shrugged and started eating the last of the chicken alfredo.

            Jet walked around the streets of Venus marveling at the beauty of the planet. In his opinion, it was the fairest planet humanity had colonized. Eventually, he came to the warehouse district his informant had led him to. He knew the area was vast, so he reasoned he'd be searching for a while.

            He wandered past numerous, tall, rundown buildings sweeping over them with articulate, ice blue eyes. None of them seemed to fit the description he'd been given. It was after about a half an hour of aimless walking that he found himself in a shaded alleyway. As he was strolling down it, someone abruptly ran into him.

            Jet was roughly shoved to the side. His metallic shoulder hit the stonewall of a dilapidated warehouse and he slid to the ground. Looking up in a daze, he saw none other than his bounty running away from him. The part of this incident that shocked him the most, though, was the woman his bounty was pulling along with him. He had her by a pale arm that stuck out from the blanket she clutched around her body. She wore no shoes on her feet as they splashed through puddles of filth and her long, dark hair trailed behind her like a veil. Before he could gather his senses, he heard a gunshot fire from behind him.

            On instinct, he drew his gun and returned fire. Seconds later, the unknown gunman fell to the ground dead. He clambered to his feet and turned back to his bounty. When he registered the sight before him, his feet seemed frozen to the ground. After shaking off his initial response, he slowly approached his goal. 

            His bounty was dead. His name had been Richard Grey, but that didn't matter anymore. His crimes no longer mattered either. He was lying face down in a pool of his own blood no longer receiving the gift of life. But the woman was. She was hunched over his lifeless form desperately shaking the body as if she didn't understand what had happened. She had let go of her blanket to do this and Jet then noticed she wore nothing beneath it. He immediately averted his eyes to the bounty. When she heard his footsteps fall close to her, her head snapped up and their gazes met.

            Jet felt his heart constrict. The look in her light green eyes was terribly distressed. She seemed so frightened and innocent at that moment. He moved to inspect the body and she frantically backed up against the wall as if he meant to harm her. A quick pulse check told him that his bounty was very dead. He cursed under his breath and looked up to the woman again, relieved she had now safely concealed her body within the blanket again.

            She was filthy. Besides that, she had exquisite beauty. Long, flowing dark brown hair framed her heart shaped face. Lovely light green eyes with thick, dusky lashes started back at him as her full lips futilely tried to form words.

            "Who are you?" he asked, his deep voice startling her.

            "I…don't…know…" the woman managed to croak out in a hoarse voice.

            Jet rolled his eyes. "Great, another Faye," he muttered. "Do you know anything about yourself? A name maybe?" he asked.

            "E…Eden," said the woman. "Richard said my name is Eden." Her eyes once again passed dolefully over the corpse before her.

            "Do you have anywhere to go?"

            Eden shook her head. Jet sighed loudly, his shoulders slumping in exasperation. His first logical thought was to hand her over to the authorities and forget he ever saw her. But for some odd reason, his heart protested that course of action. His heart told him that they would still consider her Grey's accomplice, despite the absence of her memory. They would question her relentlessly; perhaps even accuse her of playing dumb when she couldn't answer their inquiries. They may even lock her up so that she could 'come to her senses' and leave her there to rot. Jet knew how the system worked. He had been part of it at one time.

            "Come on," he said reluctantly as he stood. Eden obeyed, yet still looked weary.

            "Where are we going?" she asked in a timid tone as she followed his large frame down the alleyway.

            "Back to my ship," he answered sternly. "Maybe I can help you find out who you are."

~~~{@

Authors Note: To all my reviewers, Thank You so much J I greatly appreciate all the input! "Session 3: I Need a Favor…" coming soon! 

***    


	4. Session 3: I Need a Favor

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop.

Session 3: I Need a Favor…

            The creaking of the hangar door opening and closing woke Spike from his light slumber. Minutes of silence ensued as he began to doze off again stretched across his favorite spot on the ship, the couch. Suddenly, bright light assailed his closed eyelids and he grimaced in agitation. He heard Jet's heavy footsteps approaching the couch…and another set softly padding behind them. Spike opened his eyes to behold a rather disgruntled looking Jet and a pretty, longhaired woman staring down at him. His eyes widened and he bolted upright. 

            "Who is this?" he asked staring at the woman.

            Jet almost laughed at the baffled expression on his friend's face.

            "I'm Eden," answered the woman before Jet could speak up. Her grip on the blanket had loosened and one of her pale shoulders began to show. When it continued to slip further to reveal cleavage, Spike stared in awe.

            Jet cleared his throat loudly and hastily pulled the blanket back over Eden's shoulder. Spike was amused to see the slight blush that flushed the gruff man's face.

            "Where's Faye?" Jet asked returning to his normal demanding self.

            "Probably hiding in her room, as usual," spoke Spike discovering a magazine on the table next to the couch. He lay back down and placed the magazine over his head to continue his slumber unencumbered by the overhead light. 

            "Wait here," Jet ordered Eden as he walked away.

            Eden nodded then turned her attention to Spike who was now snoring softly.

            Faye was jarred awake as she heard an obnoxious pounding on her door. Immediately, she knew it had to be Jet's mechanical arm.

            "Faye! Get your lazy ass out here!" he called affirming her assumption.

            She grumbled some profanities as she crawled out of bed thrashing around and tripping on her tangled sheets. Her door opened seconds later.

            "I need a favor," started Jet.

            She considered arguing with him, but quickly squashed the thought. Jet had saved her ass more than once, and he continued to offer her hospitality no matter how little she did around the ship.     

            "Okay," she mumbled rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

            "Do you have a spare set of clothes that would fit someone…slightly larger than you?" he asked awkwardly.

            "Yeah," answered Faye beginning to look a bit perplexed.

            "Good. Get them and meet me in the shower room," said Jet stomping off down the hallway.

            Now, Faye was utterly confused, but did as he requested. Jet was a sensible man. There had to be a good reason for his odd demand. She reconsidered this thought when she arrived at the shower room. There stood Jet next to a woman clothed only in a dirty blanket. Much to her surprise, Faye Valentine found herself at a loss for words.

            Jet surveyed the clothes she brought and nodded in approval. "I found her on Venus," he began sounding as if he'd found an animal rather than a person. "She was with my bounty when he was killed. She doesn't remember who she is, so I decided to help her find out. Would you please help her get cleaned up and dressed? If you teach her how to use the shower, you'll only have to do this once."

            Faye blinked and stared dumbly at Jet. When he saw no visible protest in her face, he smiled briefly and took his leave. Faye then stared at Eden who regarded her with an equally confused expression.

            _She's just like me when I woke up,_ thought Faye, a sad smile of sympathy crossing her face.

            "Hello, Eden. My name is Faye," she said warmly. "Let's get this over with so you can relax, okay?"

            "Okay," said Eden now more at ease hearing Faye's gentle welcome.

            Jet once again sat on the bridge of his ship anxiously awaiting Eden's return. There was something about her that captivated him, and it wasn't just her stunning good looks. He felt a pang of jealousy as he recalled the way Spike had looked at her when he woke up. He made a mental note to keep an eye on his wily comrade. Just as that thought passed, Eden and Faye walked onto the bridge.

            "So, how does she look?" asked Faye pleased with her work. This was the lightest mood she'd been in since her injury two months ago.

            Jet turned to view the clean version of Eden and couldn't find the words to describe what he beheld. Her dark hair shone with renewed life as it cascaded over her shoulders to lengths past her waist. Her pale skin glowed, still ruddy from the hot water. The outfit Faye had picked out was fairly modest yet clung to every voluptuous curve on Eden's body.

            "Well?" asked Faye impatiently tapping her foot.

            Jet shook his head clear. "She looks wonderful, Faye. Thank you. I appreciate your help," he said practically glowing himself.

            Faye chuckled lightly. She could see by the gleam in his eyes that he was falling for Eden and fast at that. "Oh yeah." Faye suddenly remembered what she had wanted to mention to him. "I'm not sure if it means anything, but look on her lower back." With that said, she strolled off the bridge.

            "What's on my back?" asked Eden timidly approaching Jet. 

            "Turn around," he said when she reached him. She hesitated briefly before complying. As gently as he could manage, he lifted her shirt slightly. He saw the top of a black mark poking out from her jeans. Pulling the fabric down a bit, he furrowed his brows at what he peered. A strange symbol with a three below it that seemed horribly familiar. 

            "No…it can't be…" he muttered letting go of her clothing.

            "Huh? What's wrong?" asked Eden turning around. She saw Jet's troubled eyes staring past her into the depths of space. They seemed hollow and this disturbed her.

            Without a gesture of warning, Jet suddenly sprang from his seat and rushed off the bridge. Eden chased after him astounded by her own agility. She came to a halt in the common room. Jet was sitting on a metal ledge just beyond the couch with his back to her. She crept past Spike's snoring form on the couch and then realized Jet was furiously typing away at his computer. Eden leaned in over the metal ledge to get a better view of the images flashing on the computer screen.

            "ISSP…genetic experiment…extensive training…above average intelligence…" Eden mumbled the words she caught. Apparently, she could read.

            The screens abruptly stopped flashing. They seemed to have stopped on a profile screen. In the top left corner, Eden saw her own face staring back at her. She curiously scanned the profile as Jet read it. This time, he mumbled aloud what he surveyed.

            "Biologically engineered…part of experimental group, number three of five…showed extraordinary intelligence…accelerated training…1,000 confirmed kills during Titan war…sudden lapse and loss of memory shortly after return to ISSP Headquarters…subject detained at Mars Maximum Security Prison to await extensive investigation into memory failure…investigation yielded no conclusive results…subject placed in cryogenic facility to await possible reactivization or termination…" Jet's voice trailed off and he turned his shocked eyes to Eden. She was the rumored experiment that he had caught wind of while working with the ISSP. The killer bombshell they had called her. 

            Eden slowly backed away from the computer and Jet with an expression of dismay. She was an experiment. A trained killer. Her only saving grace was that she couldn't remember any of it. Richard Grey had freed her from the facility a mere three days ago. He had declared he was liberating her. When she asked why she couldn't remember anything or who she was he would shake his head and say it didn't matter. He had only told her that her name was Eden because she was as beautiful as paradise.

            She remembered how kind Richard had been to her those three days they fled. She remembered his bleeding body collapsing in front of her. Panic and grief had flooded her senses at that moment. The following moments were a blur until she had locked eyes with Jet. They had softened with sympathy as he stared at her. Those same eyes stared at her now. She met them again on the verge of tears.

            "I…I'm…" Eden stammered unable to find the appropriate words to describe her brief life. With a sudden cry of frustration, she turned on her heels and ran out of the room.

            "Eden! Wait!" cried Jet flying off the ledge to chase after her.

            Spike's snore cut short as he was startled awake. He lifted the magazine partially off of his face but didn't see anyone. Letting the magazine fall back into place, he shifted slightly and soon started snoring again.

Authors Note: Sorry this is so short. I promise the next Session will be longer ^_^ I'm plugging away at it daily at work! Hehe…

To my reviewers:

Pimpin Satan: You may have reviewed this before. I had to edit it because I uploaded it wrong the first time and sadly lost some reviews. Anyway, thank you for the lovely review! About Spike and Faye, I love the idea of them being a couple. It just doesn't seem in their natures to be squishy romantics, so I'm trying to take an unconventional approach, though I may slip into the sap at times. And Eden…well, I think she's more of Jet's guardian angel than anyone else ^_^  

Red-Tenko: Yes, it is about time Jet got himself a girl! (though, I have read some awesome Jet fics!) He gets ignored in a lot of Spike/Faye fics and I didn't want to do that since I love his character too! Oh, and thank you for the good idea to have Faye help out Eden. I hadn't thought of that. And the woman bonding between them is also a wonderful idea. Thank you again for the review!


	5. Session 4: Tension, Strength and Slumber

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 4: Tension, Strength and Slumber

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            Soft kisses fluttered over her bare flesh. Hot, moist lips worked to ignite a passion within her that would not be ignored. Strong, tepid hands ran smoothly over her back, her thighs and the taunt skin of her abdomen. She rolled onto her back to see and touch the figure that loomed above her.

            The room was dark. So dark that she couldn't make out any of the man's features. She tried to touch him but he pinned her arms down against the silk sheets. His mouth then ravaged her, teased her. He ceased when he reached her left ear.

            "Faye," he whispered seductively.

            Faye awoke mildly disorientated. She sat up and ran a hand through her hair as she heaved a sigh. Ever since she had arrived on the Bebop, she had been sexually frustrated. And living with two men, one being devilishly handsome in her opinion didn't make it any easier to cope with. She had held her urges at bay for quite a while. She had almost gotten to the point she ignored them completely. Then, mortality had come knocking and the floodgates opened once again.

            Her thoughts drifted to Spike. It didn't take a fool to see there was sexual tension between them. But back in the days prior to their folly, he had been chasing an unobtainable dream. Now, the dream was over. For both of them.

            Faye's stomach suddenly growled loudly. She chuckled as she crawled out of bed. 

            "Well, I guess there are _some_ things that are better than sex…" she mumbled strutting down the hallway in search of food.

***    

            "Eden! Please stop!" cried Jet chasing Eden through the halls of the Bebop. A large part of the ship consisted of storage areas, so there were plenty of unknown places to explore. More than anything her speed and agility shocked him the most.

            She finally came to a hatch he had locked a while back to keep Edward out of the area. Eden struggled valiantly with the hatch. It began to creek and moan. Seconds later, it budged. This stopped Jet nearly dead in his tracks. He didn't think even _he_ could budge a locked hatch. He approached her slowly as she continued to struggle in vain. He reached out a hand to place on her shoulder in an attempt to stop her. 

            "Leave me alone!" cried Eden throwing her arm back. It hit him square in the chest and threw him against the wall.

            Jet felt the wind knocked from him as his back collided painfully with the metallic wall. Stunned and out of breath, he sunk to the floor. He eventually looked up to Eden who was also slumped to the floor crying, one hand still tenaciously grasping the hatch. He sighed loudly. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. This time when he moved to grab her he did so with his mechanical arm, much stronger than his flesh one.

            She didn't struggle, but instead stared at him frightened. He found this mildly amusing seeing she was possibly stronger than him. Perhaps she didn't know her own strength.

            "Are…you going to take me back to them?" she asked after a brief glance at his metallic left hand clamped around her upper arm.

            "Of course not," said Jet with gentle assurance. "Listen…I know the profile said you've killed lots of people…but you have to understand, that was during a war. In those kinds of situations it's kill or be killed. I'm sure you only did what you had to."

            Eden's face seemed to relax at Jet's rational explanation. She looked at his stern yet concerned expression and cracked a smile. Despite his grip on her she leaned forward and embraced him in a hug. He was so surprised that he didn't move to return the embrace.

            "Thank you, Jet…I don't know what I'd do without your kindness," she whispered.

            "Come on…let's go back," was his only response.

***    

            Spike woke up to the sound of the television. It's soft light cast deep shadows in the common room making it seem moderately eerie. He first noticed that the magazine had slipped off of his face during a slumber shift. His eyes then surveyed the room. He noticed Faye's small form huddled on the chair that she had aimed towards the television. Sitting up and yawning, Spike kept his eyes glued on the partial image he had of her. She was being oddly quiet in his opinion. 

            He stood and closed the short gap between the couch and the chair. As he crouched in front of her he realized she had fallen asleep. Her head rested at an uncomfortable angle on one of her bare shoulders, dark hair splayed across it. Her legs looked painfully bent underneath her body and one arm rested in her lap, the other hung off the side of the chair.

            Spike almost laughed at how comical she seemed in her present position. Before he could utter a sound, his mismatched eyes fell on her serene face. It struck him as unusual to see her so relaxed. He studied the contours of her face, the gentle curve of her nose and eyebrows, the stark contrast of black hair against white skin, her mouth…deep pink lips parted ever so slightly as if inviting him…tempting him…

            He shook his head. Tempting him? What the hell was he thinking? Sure, Faye was a beautiful woman, but her attitude was atrocious. There had been times he actually enjoyed it, mostly when he had been pissing her off.  

_Now that I think about it, she's not nearly as feisty now as she was then,_ he thought. After being seriously injured the fire in her had died down to a dull roar. 

Faye moaned and shifted. One of her thin legs slid out from under her and kicked one of the wounds on Spike's abdomen. He stifled the yelp that tried to escape then let out a string of curses under his breath.

_Goddamn…even in her sleep she met her mark,_ he thought trying to ignore the miserable throbbing of his wound.

"Bet you're dangerous in bed too," he drawled aloud with a whimsical smirk.

"Hmmm?" came Faye's voice as she leisurely opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Spike's reddening face. The second was her foot gently rubbing one of his legs. But, she was too tired to let these things trouble her.

"Hey…" she said before she yawned and stretched. With this movement her other leg freed itself and landed gracefully on Spike's leg to join it's companion. She gave him a sleepy eyed glance. "Were you trying to take advantage of me in my sleep?" she asked playfully.

"No!" responded Spike a little too vehemently. "I mean…you wish," he corrected himself trying to hide his embarrassment. He wondered if she had heard his last comment before she woke.

Faye chuckled lazily. "You're a bad liar, Spike," she said moving her legs away from him and to the floor. She stood up. He followed suit.

"You really think I'd do something to you in your sleep?" he asked looking incredulous. "You've got some powerful imagination there, Faye, and a sick one at that."

"Spike…cut the shit. I heard what you said," stated Faye, a smug expression plastered on her face. "And as for me being dangerous in bed…well, let's just say…you'll never know until you try."

Spike stared at her, eyebrows raised inquisitively. He opened his mouth to speak then quickly closed it. _Did she just invite me…_

"Goodnight, cowboy," said Faye with a coy smile. She sauntered out of the common room. Just as she was stepping into her bedroom, she felt a body brush past hers. The assailant grabbed her by the arms, pulled her into the room and shoved her roughly against the wall.

"Why are you playing games with me?" demanded Spike loudly looking alarmingly stern, even for him.

"What do you mean?" she asked wide-eyed. She knew she had teased him a little bit but she was hardly playing games.

"Why can't you just talk to me like a normal human being? You never say anything straightforward. Every conversation we have leaves me confused," he confessed in a heated tone.

Faye smirked despite the fact he still gripped her arms tightly and had leaned in too close to her.

"Well, I'm sorry if you don't understand the universal language…maybe you should go back to school," she replied snidely. She winced as the grip on her arms grew painful.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" shouted Spike close to losing his temper. "Why don't you put away your pride for a goddamn while and tell me what you _really _mean?!"

Her expression started to read panic, which normally meant she was losing an argument. She glanced around frantically. "Keep your voice down! What if Jet hears you?!" she hissed.

"I don't care! Besides, you know Jet sleeps like the dead," he stated staring intensely at her with his auburn colored eyes.

_Why do his eyes make me feel so weak?_ Faye silently asked herself as she stared back. She began to feel her will diminish. He could see it and acted on it.

"Tell me," he commanded her. "Tell me something real."

Her mouth moved but no sound came from it. She struggled to break her personal barriers. Alarms were going off in her head, but she felt numb to them. She closed her eyes briefly and braced herself to let the protective walls down.

"I…I'm alone," she said in a barely audible whisper. Spike waited patiently for her to continue. She spoke again, louder this time. "Nobody on this ship cares about me. You would both rather be rid of me. I…don't have anyone…not even a family…" Tears welled up in her eyes and she quickly blinked them back.

"But that's not true…" he reasoned, his expression lightening. He let go of her arms. "If Jet didn't care or want you around, he wouldn't have rescued you that day…"

"What about you?" she asked now averting her gaze. "Do you care about me?"

Spike seemed stunned stupid by the question. "Well…uh…I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't," he fumbled.

_That's true, _she thought. _This is a little out of character for him._

"Okay, I believe you. Now, get the hell out of my room," said Faye putting up her walls again.

"But…"

"Go." She pointed to the door beside her for emphasis.

Spike threw her a weary glance, shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged out of the room. The slam of the door behind him was his only farewell.

Faye sunk to the floor of her room as the tears she had held back now flowed from her eyes. She was miserable and confused now. Why the hell did Spike suddenly care to show her concern now, twisted as it may be? Had he been hiding his true self from her all along? She didn't know.

She covered her face with her hands and fought the sobs trying to wrack her frail body. She knew she cared about him, but considered that an utterly wasted emotion. Spike had never seemed to truly care about anyone but the ghosts from his past. Perhaps the only reason he cared about her even a little now was because those ghosts were lost to him forever. What a pathetic, depressing thought.

Faye eventually climbed into bed and tried to empty her mind. The ghosts of her past haunted her relentlessly as she drifted into an uneasy slumber.

***    

Eden tossed and turned on the horridly uncomfortable mattress. Jet had drug it out of one of the supply rooms and tossed it on the floor of an empty storage room close to his. The springs dug irritatingly into her tender flesh and it had a funky smell she couldn't seem to ignore. To top it all off she was cold, and the thin blanket covering her did little to help this.

With a growl of frustration, she threw the blanket off and made her way into the hall. Tugging nervously at the oversized t-shirt Jet had lent her, she gazed left, then right. Finding her goal she tiptoed to the room Jet had said was his and cautiously opened the door. When she closed the door behind her she heard soft snoring. Her eyes adjusted to the dark room and she then saw him sleeping peacefully under what looked like a very warm comforter. She smiled and walked the short distance to the bed.

Without hesitation, she crawled under the comforter and snuggled up to Jet's warm body. She felt safe and relaxed now. Richard had always let her sleep next to him, and she had quickly found that she craved the warmth of another body near hers. She hoped Jet didn't mind, but didn't have much time to ponder this before losing consciousness. 

***  

Authors Note: A little longer of a Session, but I'm still trying to write a longer one! What can I say? I'm a Cowboy Bebop junkie. 

Pimpin Satan: Thank you again for the review ^_^ I have to agree that Spike and Faye's squabbling is a big part of why they're so fun to work with. It just works. Lastly, thank you for the praise on my Jet portrayal! The easiest way for me to write any character is to try to get into their heads. Think like they do, understand their motivations…blah, blah…ok, I'm boring you now, hehe…

Red-Tenko: Yes, I tried to make Eden not so original because I know that adding her was a gamble. (oh, and I was a devout trekkie for years! ^_^ behold our nerdiness, and we're damn proud of it!) As for the other Eden's showing up, that would be trippy! My plot thanks you for hugging it also, hehe…Thank you for the review!

***   


	6. Session 5: Love and Suicide

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 5: Love and Suicide

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            Faye awoke during what she assumed to be the morning. She slugged out of bed with her thoughts fixated on two things; coffee and cigarettes. She had had a fitful night's rest, so she wasn't in the mood for anyone's interference on her way to her goal. When she arrived at the kitchen she was greeted by a fresh pot of coffee and Spike leaning against a counter.

            Truth be told, she was delighted more by the fact she didn't have to brew the coffee this time than she was by the fact the lazy fluff head had done it for her. She fixed herself a cup then sat down on a low metal shelf to nurse it. Seconds later, a cigarette was shoved in her face. She gave Spike a wary glance before taking it and placing it in her mouth.

            "Do you want something?" she mumbled past the cigarette, horribly suspicious of his actions.

            "No," he answered further surprising her by flicking a lighter near her face.

            Faye lit her cigarette and inhaled, blowing out smoke in his general direction. "Is this revenge or something? Are you purposely trying to confuse me?" she asked still doubtful and baffled by his kind behavior. 

            "No. This is just my way of saying thanks," answered Spike heading for the door.

            "Thanks? For what?"

            "For being honest with me," he said simply before disappearing from the room.

            _What a frustratingly odd man,_ Faye thought to herself as she pondered his comment while sipping her coffee.

***    

            Jet awoke slowly as he absently caressed soft skin. As he came to full consciousness confusion sunk into his mind. Soft skin? Under _his_ fingertips? In _his_ bed? His eyes flew open. Much to his bewilderment, Eden lay next to him pressed lightly against his body. In his slumber, he had put his right arm around her and had been rubbing the skin at the nape of her neck. She was still fast asleep and looked like a peaceful angel at his side.

            He decided not to wake her just yet. It had been years since a woman had graced his bed and he was quite frankly enjoying the experience. He noticed one of her ashen arms had wound itself around his side and felt the hand resting limply on his back. He closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet scent as his hand instinctively moved down to stroke her back.

            _Oh god, I've missed this,_ he thought not realizing Eden was stirring. She didn't say anything, just shifted slightly and moved her hand. When he opened his eyes to look at her one last time before waking her, he saw her heavy lidded eyes peering back.

            Jet Black panicked.

            With unexpected tenacity, he pushed her away from him and acted flabbergasted as if he had just awoken and discovered her next to him. She nearly fell off the side of the bed but steadied herself masterfully. Jet had already sat up and pressed himself to the wall his bed was set against. He threw on his best false expression of disconcertment.

            "Eden! What are you doing in here?" he asked trying not to shout too loudly lest he draw unwanted attention.

            "I was cold," she offered as if that statement explained everything. "Are…you angry with me?" she asked suddenly looking distressed at her own question.

            Jet sighed briefly and looked away from her. She was worried she had angered him and all he really wanted to do was tell her she looked strikingly beautiful in the morning. Especially lying next to him. He gazed at her with a lighter expression.

            "No…I'm not angry," he confessed as a small smile crept its way across his face. "Come on, I have to cook breakfast. Spike and Faye are probably starving by now. I'm surprised they haven't come kicking down my door yet," he joked.

            Eden chuckled and followed the good-hearted man as he crawled out of bed and headed for the kitchen. There was a place for him in her heart that was growing steadily warmer with each passing minute they spent together.

***   

            "It's like pulling teeth," growled Jet as he talked to Bob, his old buddy from the ISSP, on his comm. unit. 

            "I know," came Bob's scratchy voice. "Bounty hunting isn't supposed to be easy. You know that."

            "All too well," responded Jet rolling his eyes.

            "Sorry I don't have more information for ya," apologized Bob with his usual listless expression.

            "Don't sweat it. I'll talk to you later," said Jet cutting the comm. link. He had his eyes on a bounty head and a hefty one at that. He knew the bounty was on one of Jupiter's moons, but which one exactly was anyone's guess. He sat down in front of his computer and began to investigate.

            He could possibly be on his home satellite, Ganymede. Or Europa, the oddly cracked satellite with the one massive ocean that drew plenty of tourism. He shuddered to think the bounty maybe hiding on frozen Callisto or lifeless, industrialized Amalthea. In the end, it turned out his bounty had been last sighted on Io, the highly volcanic moon with a volatile surface. Nobody really lived there, but hundreds frequented its raised hotels to witness the continuously changing terrain. Molten lava was a beautiful thing as long as you weren't in it, he supposed. One of the hotel security guards had spotted him but decided not to risk apprehending him. He was, after all, a fairly dangerous man. 

            "Got anything interesting?" came Spike's question halting Jet's tactical train of thought. 

            "Hmph. Does that mean you're actually going to start bounty hunting again?" shot back Jet while crossing his arms for effect.

            Spike looked as though he had just finished a Jeet Kune Do session. He wore only his dark blue training pants and a towel around his neck. He parked his sweat-drenched body next to Jet on the arm of the couch and gazed at the computer screen. 

            "Why not," he stated rather than asked. "I've been working out lately and the wounds aren't bothering me that much anymore."

            Jet nodded and nearly sighed in relief. Bounty hunting had always been a hell of a lot easier with a partner for back up. "Where's Eden?" he asked casually. He hadn't seen her since breakfast and wondered what she had gotten herself into that had kept her hidden so long.

            "With Faye," answered Spike standing up and stretching. "From what I caught of their sneaking around, Faye's trying to teach her to be more feminine."

            Jet burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. "That's rich," he said after calming down. "I feel sorry for Eden."

            "Yeah," said Spike simply with a smirk. "I'm gonna go take a shower. We can leave after that."

            "Sure thing," said Jet returning to his computer to devise a plan of action.

***   

            "Ahhh! What the hell?! Stop!" screamed Faye as she glanced up to check on Eden. She was currently trying to teach her how to paint her nails. Sadly enough, Edward had been an easier pupil to teach this art than Eden. Her toenails currently resembled a botched operation. 

            "What am I doing wrong this time?" asked Eden looking exasperated. Faye had been drilling her relentlessly all day about proper makeup application, good hygiene, dressing fashionably, fixing her hair, flaunting her assets, not trusting men…the list went on and on.

            "You have to paint _neatly_ and _smoothly_ on the nail…not the skin," sighed Faye once again busting out the polish remover. She took the nail polish from Eden and promptly began to fix her sloppy mistakes.

            Eden sighed and gazed out one of the windows of the bridge, where they were currently "hiding". She soon heard movement nearby and snapped her head towards it. She saw Jet walk to the control panel and sit down. Her face lit up almost instantly.

            "Hello, ladies," he said with an amused smirk at what he observed before him. Eden was leaning against a glass pane smiling brightly at him with Faye awkwardly hunched over her feet dabbing at them with a cotton ball. _So, is this what being feminine is supposed to look like?_ he mused silently.

            "Hello, Jet!" beamed Eden happily. "I haven't seen you for a while."

            "I know. I've been busy tracking down a bounty head."

            This statement caught Faye's attention. "A bounty? Is Spike going this time?" she asked while finishing her current task. 

            "Yes," answered Jet. "The bounty is on Io and we're close to Jupiter now. I'm going to land and dock on Ganymede so when we catch him we can just turn him in there."

            "Can I go too?" asked Faye standing up.

            Jet flinched at her question as if he'd been expecting it. "I'd rather you stay on the Bebop and make sure Eden's okay," he said trying to sound determined. 

            "Jet, she's a grown woman. She can take care of herself. Besides, you used to leave Ed alone on the ship all the time," argued Faye.

            "That was different. Edward had been on her own for most of her life. Eden's unfamiliar with everything on the Bebop. I want you to stay here in case she needs help," reasoned Jet.

            "Oh, come on…"

            "It's **not** open for discussion, Faye," he said cutting her off and making the best stern face he could muster.

            Much to his surprise, she didn't yell or scream. Instead, she scrunched up her face as if preparing for a fit of anger then stormed off the bridge without a crossword. Eden wandered over to the control panel and sat on a ledge beside him.

            "So…what's this 'bounty' stuff you guys keep talking about?" she asked innocently.

            Jet couldn't help but smile. Eden was so good-natured. It was hard to believe she was ever a trained killer. He cleared his throat and began to explain the glorious history of bounty hunting.         

***   

            "Don't you think that was a little too easy, Jet?" asked Spike through his comm. unit in the Swordfish. The rather unintelligent bounty head had still been checked into the same hotel he had been last sighted at. They had caught him with ease and were already on their way to cash him in.

            "I don't question the fates when they hand me something this easily," came Jet's voice from the Hammerhead. "Maybe it's a reward for putting up with you and Faye for so long," the older bounty hunter joked,

            "Oh please. We're not that bad…are we?" asked Spike sounding doubtful of himself.

            "No, you're not, I guess. But sometimes, you two are nothing but trouble," Jet replied remembering his recent hassles with them. "Whatever the case…I'm just glad to have my partner back," he finished with a small smile. 

            Spike never responded. He only secretly grinned as they rapidly approached Ganymede.

***     

            The Bebop was dark and devoid of commotion when the Hammerhead and Swordfish pulled into the hangar. Being fairly exhausted, both bounty hunters headed for their rooms not giving thought to where the girls were.

            When Jet stepped into his room he immediately noticed Eden's dark figure lying on his bed. He should have expected it, but he didn't. There was a pleasant mixture of surprise and appeal for him to arrive home and find her awaiting him in his most intimate of dwellings. As he walked to the edge of his bed and stared down at her sleeping form, he considered turning around and trying to pass out on the couch. Ultimately, he decided to resist temptation and leave the room. After turning around he felt a tug at his pants halting his movement.

            "You're finally home," came Eden's soft voice. "I haven't been able to sleep very well without you here."

            Jet gulped before turning to face her. "Well, I'm here now, so you're fine. I'll be in the common room if you need anything," he said quickly trying to make a break for the door.

            With superb agility Eden lunged at him throwing her arms around his neck. "No! Stay here with me!" she demanded sounding desperate. This time Jet returned the embrace more out of instinct than thought. "I…can't fall asleep unless I'm close to a warm body," she confessed.

            Jet sighed and began to stroke her hair. If she really wanted him there, who was he to refuse a lady?

            "Alright…I'll stay."

***  

            Spike could not fall asleep. He had been tossing and turning for what seemed like hours now and to no avail. With a frustrated groan he rolled out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. Perhaps the bottle of scotch he had hid behind the fridge would knock him out. Much to his dismay he found the bottle of alcohol missing as his hand groped around the gap between the fridge and wall. Agitated as he was, the sudden sound of the hangar door creaking to life peaked his attention.

            Thunder boomed from above as he inquisitively roamed to the hangar. Ganymede was known for its fickle weather. He strolled past all three ships and through the open hangar door. It was dark outside and wind was kicking up to announce the coming storm. Spike looked up at the sky to the momentary flashes of lightning before curiously peering around the deck.

            What he saw nearly stopped his heart.

            Faye was standing at the edge of the deck in her simple night attire with her back to him. He saw his empty bottle of scotch in one of her hands and her glock pressed to her temple with the other. The increasing wind tousled her hair over the sleek, black barrel as Spike stared at her. He found this sight strangely beautiful and strikingly horrifying all at once. After the shock subsided, he broke into a run and found his voice.

            "Faye! What the **hell** are you doing?!" he cried startling her in her drunken state.

            The empty bottle slipped from her hand and shattered on the deck spraying her feet with glass. She clumsily swung her gun in his direction and shot at the floorboards before him. He stopped a short distance from her and gave thanks that she wasn't too drunk to aim. Or had she been trying to shoot him and missed?

            "Come any closer and I'll shoot," she said in a shaky yet resolute voice, the gun now back to her temple.

            "But…why?" Spike stammered unable to verbally express all the thoughts racing though his mind.

            "I'm doing you and Jet a favor," she slurred obviously drunk but eerily collected in thought. "I can't even bounty hunt anymore…I'm completely worthless…dead weight. I don't want to burden anyone anymore."

            Lightning cut across the sky like veins as another loud thunderclap sounded. Spike furiously wracked his brain for something…_anything _that would bring her back to her senses. He came up blank and stared at her back with a hopeless expression.

            "It's okay, Spike. Let it go," she spoke as if she had read his mind. "My life is pointless…utterly pointless. Everyone I loved is dead…there's no point in going on…" As Faye's voice trailed off the impending storm began to pour rain down on them.

            Spike closed his eyes and tilted his head up towards the heavens. If there was a goddess up there somewhere she must be crying for them, he thought. He felt a true sympathy with Faye begin to seep into his dormant heart. It felt as though she had brought it back to life with merely simple phrases. He knew her pain. He knew it all too well. But he also knew she deserved to live and be happy. Before he had a chance to speak his mind to deter her, a gunshot fired.

            The sound made him flinch involuntarily. He didn't dare open his eyes. The memory of Julia being shot flashed through his mind unsettling every shred of sanity he possessed. He fell to his knees and grabbed his head, eyes still tightly shut. Why was this happening again?! How many more women would he have to bury before finding peace?! Why did she…why…

            Something deep within him suddenly snapped. Pulling at his hair and opening his mouth he let out a primal cry that the storm swallowed. The dam had broken. His emotions poured from him like rushing water. It was an overwhelming, crippling feeling. His hands hit the deck as he hunched over and started to weep like a child. 

            As if he were dreaming, warm arms slid around his body. Eyes still shut as rain and tears mingled on his face he gave into the comforting embrace. He rested his head against soft breasts and began to gradually relax. He felt a hand timidly caressing his wet hair. 

            "Spike, are you okay?" came a very troubled voice.

            "Faye," he choked out hoarsely. "Am I dreaming?"

            "No. You're awake," she paused, "and you were…crying."

            "I was?" he asked sounding doubtful of his own actions. He stirred slightly and opened his blurry eyes to gaze up at her in wonder. "You're…not dead," he said softly.

            Her heavy lidded and weary eyes stared back at him. She offered him not explanation as she felt her own tears coming on. She had never seen him look so…vulnerable. He didn't know it, but he had been the only reason she didn't really shoot herself right then. He had been acting weird lately. He'd been acting like he actually cared…about _her_. It was baffling, but she vowed to herself to stay alive a while longer to see where it went, if it went anywhere at all. She was highly skeptical of his actions but they seemed so genuine. If only she could pick his brain…even for just fifteen minutes, she wouldn't be so confused.

            "Let's go inside before you catch a cold," was all she managed to say despite all the thoughts swimming in her head.

            He nodded vaguely as she helped him stumble to his feet. They were both emotionally and physically exhausted as they trudged back into the hangar and out of the rain. Sometime during the walk to their rooms, Spike idly noticed Faye was leaving a trail of blood in her wake. He panned down to her feet and his eyes widened.

            "Faye…your feet…" he said weakly.

            She looked down at them and cussed. "Shit…I must have cut them on that glass. I was starting to wonder why they hurt so much." She leaned an arm against the wall and picked up one of her feet. Spike stooped down to inspect it as he began to gather his senses. As Faye looked on, he found a piece of glass imbedded in her flesh and deftly yanked it out. Unfortunately, the wound started to spurt blood and Faye paled sheet white. Not soon after this, she fainted. Spike caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He awkwardly shifted her soaked body around blushing fiercely when he noticed wet clothing wasn't much of a barrier between their touching skin.

            "Damn," he muttered desperately trying to keep his thoughts off of her alluring body lying recumbent in his very arms. It wasn't working very well. He could see through her drenched white clothes and couldn't seem to pry his eyes from her for several minutes. He looked to her face again. There was the same peaceful expression on her face that he had witnessed the night before. For a reason beyond his understanding he absently traced the curve of her jaw line with his fingers. Her skin was so soft. He wondered what it would feel like to run his hands all over her body. He suddenly wanted so very badly to touch her in a much more intimate manner than he was currently. She started to stir.

            "Ohhh…" she moaned opening her dark forest-green eyes. They met Spike's two-toned eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She knew the look in his eyes all too well. Drowsy and lustful. She sneaked a quick glance at her attire and noticed it was practically transparent. 

            "Are you okay?" he asked with a low and almost forced voice.

            "Yeah…" she answered automatically still a bit disorientated. She felt her body being swiftly lifted from the floor. "Uhm…where are we going?"

            "To fix up your feet," answered Spike as he carried her into his room and carefully tossed her on his bed.

            "Uh…this isn't where the first aid kit is…" she stopped in mid-sentence when she saw him pull a medical kit out of a pile of junk in the corner of his small, cluttered room. As he wordlessly worked on patching up her feet she gazed around his room curiously. She'd never been in it before. She hadn't even had a chance to peek into it. Most of the junk was unidentifiable, well, at least to her it was. She saw a large, fairly old poster of Bruce Lee falling off of one of the walls. There were some empty bottles of hard liquor he had never thrown out, ashtrays blossoming with spent cigarette butts, a couple guns lying around in pieces, dirty clothes in a single pile, what looked like spare engine parts…

            "Wow, this room looks just like a dump," she mumbled under her breath.

            "Huh?" asked Spike now done with his task. He looked up at her and couldn't help his eyes from wandering briefly to her partially visible breasts. What could he say? He was a man after all.

            "Oh, nothing. Thanks for fixing me up…I think I should get going now…" she sputtered hastily jumping up. Almost immediately, she cursed and faltered as pain shot up her legs from her recently injured feet. She fell roughly and conveniently into Spike's arms once again. This time he shifted her around more confidently so that she was facing him. Her eyes were wide with shock and embarrassment until she noticed the lustful look that had returned to Spike's eyes. He leaned his face towards hers at an agonizingly slow pace. When his lips were mere centimeters away from hers, he stopped.

            "Do you remember our dream?" he whispered.

            How could she possibly forget? It was one of his first acts of true kindness towards her. "Yes," she whispered in response as she studied his features, so close to her.

            "A goddess had spoken to me when we were on the balcony. She said I had wronged the people closest to me…in selfishness," he paused as he caught the strong scent of his scotch on her breath. "I don't know why she spared us. At first I was really upset. But right now…I'm glad that she did."

            Before Faye could respond, his lips were on hers. He kissed her slowly and gently with skill. She didn't realize she had put her arms around him until he pulled away slightly.

            "Your life is not pointless," he said staring intently into her eyes. "Don't ever try that again, okay? I don't know if I have the strength to bury another woman." His voice wavered as he spoke his last sentence.

            "Okay…" she stated dumbly still awe-struck by his open behavior. He pulled her into a tight hug and stayed that way for a considerable length of time.

            "Stay with me the night?" he asked into her shoulder. It sounded more like a demand than a question.

            "Okay," she said repeating herself. She couldn't seem to get her brain to work properly. Maybe she had really killed herself on the deck and this was another death dream. It all seemed too good to be true. She was forced out of her thoughts and back to reality when she felt her body being lifted once again, then placed softly on the bed.

***  

To be continued in Session 6, which is yet unnamed.

Authors Note:

Sorry this update took a lot longer than the rest and I can't promise the other ones will be very close. I started college and my life was thrown into chaos once again. I end up typing little sections whenever I can find the time. But I will give it my best shot to be consistent! I realize that Spike is being a little out of character…but, hell! Near death experiences do that to some people. It happened to someone close to me, so I got to see the subtle changes first hand. There's definitely a difference before and after. Okay, enough of my babbling. Hope you enjoyed the Session. ^_^

Red Tenko: So, how was Jet's reaction? Not as comical as I would have liked to write, but *shrugs* that's what I wrote. My stories always seem to write themselves. Oh, and if Spike surprised you last chapter, he probably flabbergasted you in this one! 

Pimpin Satan: Hope I haven't lost my Faye/Spike accuracy with this session. They are a little out of character but I think that's the fun of writing fanfics. The characters aren't portrayed so rigidly. I think Spikes character is easy because he's usually so aloof. And Faye's because she's hot tempered. I believe I could write Ed well seeing that I'm also a bit off in the head, heh. Jet's philosophical and wise…hell, I could go on and on…but I think I'll shut up now.

Kendra Luehr: Thank you for the comments! I'm glad my Faye/Spike interactions seemed heartfelt. I enjoy working with them so much. I'm flattered that you think my story is so good and that the characters have depth (which I strive for, honestly). Thanks again. ^_^ 


	7. Session 6: Let's Take Care of Business

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 6: Let's Take Care of Business

________________________________________________________________________ 

            Jet awoke still fairly tired and a bit cranky. They had turned the bounty in late the previous night but hadn't been able to pick up the reward yet. They were told to come back in the morning during "business hours" for that. The first thing he saw upon setting foot out of his room was a trial of blood. He glanced to his left to see it disappear into Spike's room. The sight should have distressed him but he had seen it far too often to let it trouble him in the least.

            "Look's like Spike had another late night," he commented dryly as Eden peeked her head out from behind him. Her light green eyes widened.

            "Oh no! Is he hurt?" she asked in a tone laced with concern.

            "Probably," answered Jet stepping over the blood and heading for the kitchen. He made a mental note to tell Spike he would be cleaning up his own mess this time.

            Eden ran after him also careful of where she stepped. "Shouldn't we check to see if he's okay?" she asked his retreating back.

            "Go ahead if you want. I have to start breakfast so I can pick up my damn money soon," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

            She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. Tugging at the oversized t-shirt she wore, she timidly followed the trail of blood until it ended at a door. She didn't really want to bother Spike, but she was quite worried. Bringing a white knuckled hand to metal she delicately knocked.

            Spike heard a gentle rapping at his door as he slowly gained consciousness. Before sitting up he gazed at Faye's slender body curled up peacefully beside him. They hadn't done anything sexual, he had just held her until she fell asleep. In the year that he had known her he had never stopped to consider how truly lonely she was. Hell, he had never stopped to consider how lonely he was either. After his second near death experience the reality of his situation finally came crashing down on him. He had responded to this by avoiding any human interaction. He had needed time to sort out his thoughts. Naturally, this included a _lot_ of sleeping. The knock sounded again.

            He reluctantly slipped out of bed. Faye was out cold and did not stir at his absence. He stubbed his toe on something and cursed under his breath before limping to the door. As soon as he cracked it he was assailed with questions.

            "Are you alright? Are you hurt? What did you do last night? Are the…" Eden abruptly stopped speaking when she caught a glimpse of Faye on his bed in the slight distance. "Oh," she uttered as her cheeks flushed red. "I'm sorry."

            "It's okay," said Spike with an amused smirk. "I'm fine, but thank you for your concern."

            "Oh, good. I…uhm…better go help Jet now," she said before practically running off down the hallway.

            Spike chuckled as he shut the door. He settled onto his bed and pulled Faye's sleeping body into his arms. He had forgotten how good it felt to hold a woman. She made a small contented sound as a slight smile formed on her face. He stared down at her in wonder. She seemed so happy to be close to him, even unconscious. He couldn't fathom why. Because he was convenient? Close to her age? Did she think he was handsome? He had no idea. Most of the time he figured she would have rather spit in his food than give him a gesture of affection.

            Contemplating the mysteries of women he absently caressed Faye's silken exposed skin. He had brought her dry nightclothes before they finally passed out from exhaustion. He remembered her sudden embarrassed modesty when he had attempted to help her change. She had shoved him away and told him to turn around. He had complied with a shrug far more nonchalant than he felt.

            His hand eventually found the flesh on her back where the scar had formed. Exploring it gently he noticed her frown and shift. Her eyes opened seconds later and she jolted away from him nearly sliding off of the bed.

            "Whoa! Easy there," soothed Spike as he caught her by the torso and moved her back to his side. He noticed her flinch when he had grabbed her midsection. It was then it dawned on him. He hadn't been rough enough to actually hurt her. It could only mean one thing.

            "Let me see the scar, Faye," he demanded.

            Faye furiously shook her head but he was too quick. Within seconds he had her pinned beneath him helplessly. He used his body to hold her down and one hand to grip her arms above her head. His free hand lifted up her shirt and he inspected the skin beneath. The flesh of the wound was bright red and horribly raw looking. He knew the scar well; his tan skin just hid them much better. Gazing up to her face he saw tears gliding down her cheeks.

            "It looks terrible, doesn't it?" she asked quietly.

            Honestly, he had been thinking just the opposite. The small red mark stood in stark contrast to her smooth, porcelain white skin. It reminded him of a work of art; it represented the mortality of a seemingly invincible woman. He leaned over her stomach and gently brushed his lips over the scar causing her to gasp.

            "It looks perfect," he answered her with a warm smile that softened his normally hard eyes. He then released her arms and sat back on the end of the bed.

            Faye quickly pulled down her shirt and sat up wiping the tears from her face. "Spike…why are you doing this?" she asked weakly.

            "Doing what?" he retorted playing dumb.

            She sighed. "Spike…you don't even _like_ me. Why are you wasting your time…" she couldn't find the heart to continue as she felt a wave of exhaustion sweeping through her yet weary body.

            "I never said I didn't like you and I am _not_ wasting my time," he finally answered sounding rather resolute. 

            She fell back onto the pillow and stared at the ceiling. "What brought about your sudden change of heart for me?" she continued to question. 

            "When I realized you're just as lonely and broken as I am," he said lying down next to her. "Believe it or not…I do have emotions."

            "What a revelation," dead panned Faye still intently studying the ceiling. Her eyes slid shut. "You know…" she whispered, "I…I think I've been in love with you for a little while now."

            Spike propped himself up on his elbow to stare down at her. "Really?" he asked not sounding the least bit surprised. "Why? I thought you despised my existence."

            "Well, I did at first…but…I don't know why…I guess there's a lot of reasons," she stammered turning red, eyes still shut.

            "Kiss me."

            Her eyes flew open to meet his staring intently into hers. "Huh?" she said stunned.

            "You heard me," he stated flatly, lying down. 

            She sat up and stared at him agape.

            "If you don't want to, that's okay," he said lazily putting his arms behind his head. Next thing he knew, her hot lips were on his intense and passionate. When she pulled away she left them both gasping for breath. They studied the depth of each other's eyes for a considerable length of time. It was after this that they suddenly and vehemently tangled themselves in each other's limb blazing kisses wherever they could land them. It was an act of desperation, breaking tension and lust that neither of them could stop even if they wanted to. Their bodies seemed to move of their own accord. They were held prisoner by their own need, yet felt as though they had never experienced anything so pure.

***   

            Eden busied herself buttering toast and fixing cups of coffee. Jet had taught her these things the previous morning. She was perplexed though and eventually found herself speaking.

            "Uhm..hey, Jet," she said turning to face his back.

            "Yes?" he asked as he expertly flipped a pancake into the air and caught it in the pan.

            "Are…Spike and Faye…uh…intimate?" 

            Jet nearly faltered his next flip as he burst into a fit of laughter. "Where'd you get that idea?" he asked still chuckling.

            "So, I guess that's a 'no' then," she said even more confused than she was before.

            "Not to my knowledge they're not," he affirmed returning to his cooking. "Where are those damn kids anyways? Food is usually the only thing that motivates them these days."

            Eden considered telling him they were both in Spike's room but ultimately decided against a blatant disrespect of their privacy.

            "Spike and I need to be at the station soon," reasoned Jet flipping the last pancake onto a plate. "I'm going to go wake him up. I'll be right back," he said leaving the room.

            Eden made a small sound of protest but it was too late. Jet was already gone. On second thought, maybe she should have told him.

***  

            Jet stormed down the hallway on a mission. He heard some commotion in Spike's room yet paid it no mind as he pounded his fist obnoxiously on the door.

            "Spike! Get your lazy ass in gear! We have to go pick up the reward soon!" he bellowed.

            Spike paused long enough between kisses to yell. "I'm kinda busy right now!"

            The pounding on the door persisted. "I'm not in the mood for your avoidance today!" Jet yelled back. "If you want your share, get up! **_Now_**!"

            Spike groaned in irritation and unwillingly pulled away from Faye. He took some deep breaths and willed his body to relax. Faye watched in what seemed like a daze as if she didn't quite believe the reality of her present situation. When he stood and stumbled to the door to crack it open she came to her senses and scrambled to hide under the covers.

            "Good! You're up!" smiled Jet in a more jovial mood now. "Get ready and come eat some breakfast while it's still hot."

            A disgruntled Spike watched as the cheery man strutted down the hallway. He was about to shut his door when he heard his comrade shout yet again.

            "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot," shouted Jet over his shoulder. "Clean up this damn bloody mess and wake Faye up for breakfast! Thanks!"

            "Sure thing…I'll go ahead and save the world while I'm at it," muttered Spike finally slamming the door shut in agitation. He turned back to his bed to see Faye timidly peeking out from under his blankets. He chuckled at how childishly innocent she appeared and sat on the edge of the bed.

            "I…uh…guess we'll have to continue this later…" he stuttered uncomfortably while rubbing the back of his neck.

            "Yeah, preferably when they're not awake," joked Faye trying to lighten the mood. She sat up. "You better get ready. Jet seemed a bit impatient."

            Spike nodded and started pulling on his suit pants. He paused in thought before putting on his shirt and buttoning it. "Hey, do your feet feel okay?"

            "Why?"

            "Come with us," he said now tugging on his right boot.

            She didn't answer him. Instead she decided to test the extent of her injuries. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she gingerly placed her feet on the cold floor. Still clutching the blanket to her, she took a deep breath and stood up. Beside a wince, she seemed fine.

            "Hmm…doesn't hurt that bad…" she thought out loud. Discarding the blanket, she started walking for the door with a slight limp.

            "Hey…wait…" stammered Spike trying to hop after her as he pulled on his left boot.

            "See you at breakfast," she said with a coy smile before disappearing through the door.

***    

            Faye stood outside the Ganymede Police Station babysitting Eden as the men attended to business. Upon hearing Faye wanted to go with them, Jet had insisted on bringing Eden along. He had said it would be an excellent opportunity for Eden to buy some clothes. Naturally, Faye had been elected to help her since men "don't know the first thing about what women are wearing these days" as Jet so eloquently put it.

            Faye sighed and pushed up her sunglasses after she threw a sideways glance at Eden. The striking woman was leaning over a railing on the walkway they stood on staring with wonder at the water below. She'd been that way pretty much the whole time they'd been waiting there. As the minutes of boredom passed by, Faye's hand strayed to reassuringly pat her glock tucked into the back of her jeans. She had stealthily retrieved it before everyone had left the Bebop. She doubt Jet would've batted an eye at it if he had found it lying on the deck, though. He considered her fairly careless and probably would have figured she accidentally dropped it. Her thoughts halted as she saw Jet and Spike approaching her. 

            "Alright, Faye, here you go," said Jet cramming a wad of bills into her hands. "Here's the ground rules: _No_ casinos, try to budget it the best you can, and absolutely _NO_ slutty, revealing clothes. Got it?"

            Faye glared at the stern man feeling more than a little insulted but shrugged it off. "Fine, whatever. Come on, Eden!" She stuck her nose up in the air and walked away yanking Eden along behind her. Eden looked surprised yet still managed to smile and wave good-bye to the men before they disappeared down a side street.

            "Hmm…can't help but think I've made a mistake," said Jet staring thoughtfully into the distance.

            Spike didn't seem to hear him and stared at where Faye had been moments ago. He wished he could've gone with her. That was the whole reason he had asked her to come along. But Jet had obviously had other plans in mind. 

            "What do you think?" spoke Jet interrupting Spike's contemplation.

            "Huh?"

            "Damn…what's wrong with you?" asked Jet sighing and shaking his head. "You've been spaced out all morning. Is something bothering you?"

            Spike smiled and shook his head in response. Sometimes, Jet reminded him so much of the concerned big brother he never had. "I'm fine," he answered simply. "Hey…let's go get a drink or something. It'll help you to stop worrying so much about Eden."

            Jet blushed slightly. "Am I that obvious?"

            "Yep. Come on, let's go. They'll be fine."

            "Yeah, I suppose you're right," said Jet following his friend. "They'll be fine."

***

            Eden emerged from a dressing room and twirled happily in a lovely, knee length violet dress. "What do you think, Faye?" she asked with a broad smile as her long, dark hair settled around her shoulders and back. 

            Faye couldn't help but smile back at Eden's infectious cheerfulness. "It looks great," she answered, and she wasn't lying. Eden looked wonderful in dresses, as if she were made to look her best when sickeningly feminine. 

            "Can I get this one too?" she asked excitedly as her eyes sparkled.

            "Sure," said Faye. "But that's the last one. We're almost out of money."

            Eden nodded and changed back into her lent clothes. They paid for the dress and emerged from the store with armfuls of bags. Faye had been true to Jet's demand and budgeted the money rather well. Eden now had the beginnings of a wardrobe. They were having such a good time; they didn't notice the two people that had been shadowing them since they were spotted shopping.

            "Faye? Can I ask you a personal question?" said Eden looking sheepishly at Faye as they made their way back to the Bebop. 

            "Uhm…sure, I guess," said Faye wondering what the hell she could possibly ask her that was personal.

            "Are…are you and Spike…intimate?" asked Eden turning red at her question. She hated to pry, but she was confused.

            Faye almost tripped and nearly dropped a couple of bags. Now, it was her turn to blush. "W..what do you mean?" she said trying to play dumb.

            "Well, I saw you in Spike's bed this morning when I went to see if he was okay…" she trailed off when she noticed Faye's incredulous expression of shock.

            "Ahem…well…we were…uhm…you see, last night…no…we just…" Faye fumbled over her words trying to think of a reasonable explanation for why she was in Spike's bed. Unable to think of anything believable but the truth, she fell silent.

            Eden laughed lightly. "It's okay," she said in a gentle reassuring tone. "I know you like him. I can tell by the way you look at him sometimes. Whatever you were doing with him isn't any of my business. I was just confused because Jet had said you guys weren't together. In fact, he had laughed when I asked him…"

            "Yeah, well, Jet doesn't know," explained Faye. "We used to fight like cats and dogs constantly, so he probably thinks we still can't stand each other. Hey, could you keep this secret just between us for a while? I think Jet would have a heart attack if we broke the news to him suddenly."

            "Okay," agreed Eden with a bright smile.

            The women continued to chat as they walked by a dark alleyway. A woman peeked out after them, then shrunk back into the shadows.

            "It's her, I'm sure of it," spoke the woman.

            "Then you know what to do," said the woman's male accomplice completely shrouded in shadows.

            Eden suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Faye stopped slightly ahead of her and stared back in confusion. The smile faded from Eden's face and a blank expression took its place. Before Faye could open her mouth to ask what was wrong, chaos ensued. As Eden dropped her bags and spun around, a woman with long, flowing light blond hair ran straight for her at inhuman speed. Eden fell into a stance and executed a perfect roundhouse kick knocking the mystery woman clear off her feet and against the side of a building. She rebounded quickly, though, and soon the two women were having a knockdown, drag-out fight.

            Shaking off her stunned reaction, Faye suddenly remembered her glock. She drew it from the waistband of her jeans and attempted to aim. Unfortunately, both women were moving too fast and she really didn't want to hit Eden by mistake. Suddenly, Eden kicked the woman through a glass window and charged at Faye. She cussed and lowered her weapon. The next think Faye knew, her hand was empty and Eden was unloading the glock's clip in the direction of the woman. She stared on dumbfounded as a bullet hit the woman in the shoulder and she quickly retreated through the surrounding panicked people.

            At this point, Faye's reflexes kicked in. She rushed to retrieve Eden's fallen bags first more afraid of Jet's reprimand than the fact she might get attacked by this mystery chick. Second, she grabbed Eden's arm and ran. 

            "F…Faye? What's going on?" asked Eden obviously jarred out of her trance as she tried to keep up with her sprinting companion. 

            "I don't know, just don't drop my gun!" shouted Faye in response.

            They didn't stop running until they were safely on the Bebop. Both women lunged through the entrance hatch gasping for breath as they dramatically fell to the floor. 

            "Why were we running?" asked Eden not nearly as winded as Faye. She looked at the gun in her hand in utter confusion.

            Faye snatched back the gun and stared at Eden in bewilderment. _She doesn't remember,_ she thought. _Something is seriously wrong with her memory if it's lapsing like that…_

            "Faye?"

            "Come on," said Faye slowly climbing to her feet. "We need to talk to Jet."

***   

            Upon Faye's frantic demand, the Bebop had left Ganymede almost immediately after Eden and she arrived. Everyone was now gathered on the bridge.

            "Now, Faye…would you care to explain to me the urgency of our departure?" asked Jet patiently from his seat at the controls.

            "Someone attacked us…er, Eden," said Faye still in shock. She quickly gave the men a rundown of what had occurred. 

            "You let her grab your gun?!" asked Jet with a look of horror etched on his face when Faye was done telling her story.

            "No! She grabbed it out of my hand so damn fast, I didn't even see her do it!" cried Faye defending herself.

            "I wonder why someone would be so interested in her," said Spike thoughtfully from his position leaning against a glass window. "Where the hell did she come from anyway, Jet?"

            Jet never answered. Instead, he turned his eyes to Eden as if asking permission to spill her secret. The look she returned was angst ridden and full of anxiety. He knew that she was pretty uncomfortable with the fact she had been a genetically engineered killer. Taking her expression as a silent warning, he lowered his head and remained quiet.

            "Do you remember anything about the woman that attacked you?" asked Spike directly to Eden when Jet refused to answer him.

            Eden sadly shook her head. "Faye said I fought back and shot her…but I don't remember doing those things. I only remember seeing the woman for a few seconds then running."

            "I noticed something strange about her," said Faye with a distant look in her eyes as if she were replaying the event in her mind.

            "What?" asked Spike and Jet in unison.

            "That woman…she looked a lot like Eden," answered Faye almost sounding doubtful of herself. "She had different colored hair…but her face…from what I could see they looked like they could be twins. Same facial structure and build. Strange."

            The gears in Jet's head were spinning out of control at this point. He now had a theory of who this mystery woman might be. According to the data he had pulled up on Eden, she had been number three of five. That meant there were possibly four other women out there that looked like Eden and were possibly as dangerous as her when she had her memory. Why the woman had attacked her, who had put her up to it, and how she had found her was anyone's guesses. He needed to research and the sooner the better.

            Faye, Spike and Eden watched as Jet suddenly sprung from his seat and hurried off of the bridge. Eden lowered her head and followed his lead. 

            "They're hiding something," said Spike when Eden was out of earshot. 

            "You think so?" asked Faye slowly walking over to him.

            "I'm positive," he answered absently winding his arm around her waist when she was within reach. He pulled her gently against his body and briefly buried his face in her fragrant hair. The scent intoxicated him and he had to consciously remind himself to relax.

            Reluctantly, Faye forced herself to push Spike away. "Don't do that here," she whispered. "They might see us." She didn't mention how his touch caused chills to run down her spine.

            Spike shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them somewhere safe. Before he walked away he locked eyes with Faye and spoke.

            "I'll be seeing _you_ later."

            That said he casually strolled off the bridge leaving Faye staring wide-eyed at him as her heart raced.

***   

Authors Note:

         I am soooooo sorry this took so long! .  I never figured I'd be this busy when I started college. But it's pure chaos sometimes and I have absolutely no inspiration left for writing. School sucks it all away, but I swear I am trying! Let's see how I do….Oh, and thank you to all that have reviewed! I greatly appreciate you! ^_^

Hmmm…and about the mystery man…I wonder who that might be? Hehe… *wink* 


	8. Session 7: Enter: Lilith and the Passion...

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 7: Enter: Lilith and the Passionate Encounter

________________________________________________________________________

            Jet searched any database he could find as he silently wished that Edward were still with them to help. What was taking him hours would have taken her minutes. He glanced over at Eden, who had dozed off lying on the couch. Her peaceful expression of innocence only fueled his determination to find out who this woman was that was after her. He was about to give up when he somehow stumbled upon an obscure ISSP file. He pulled up files of scientific documentation and the pictures to go along with them. 

            According to the files, there had indeed been five "Eden's". Looking at the picture files, Jet noticed that all five of the women had such similar features and builds that they looked like quintuplets. The only difference between the five, besides the subtle differences in facial features, was the color of their hair. Three of them were platinum blonds and the other two had dark brown hair. He read some of the files and learned that all of them were excessively trained and shipped off to the Titan war to ultimately test their skills. Of the five, only two returned alive from Titan. Eden and Lilith. They were both considered the crowning achievement of the scientific division of the ISSP. Unfortunately, the war had been quite traumatic and it was a loose theory that this caused Eden's memory loss. Lilith, one of the blonds that Jet was positive was the mystery woman, had retained her memory after the war. The ISSP and the Martian Military used her in secrecy for many years until she disappeared recently.

            "Lilith…" whispered Jet aloud. "I wonder who could possibly be your accomplice?" He wasn't sure, but he had a strong gut instinct that someone had persuaded Lilith to abandon her "job" and pursue more personal goals. For some odd reason he had yet to discover, Lilith wanted her sister back.

***    

            "I've failed you," whispered Lilith as her accomplice fished the bullet out of her shoulder with tweezers. The pain barely fazed her after so many years of building up tolerance to it. "I'm sorry…"

            The man smiled as a few strands of hair fell into his eyes. He looked up at his prized beauty before swiftly yanking the bullet out and tossing it on the floor of the ship they traveled in. He immediately started to apply antiseptic to the bleeding wound marveling at the fact that she had not winced once during the whole procedure. 

            "You have not failed me," he said in a deep voice still smirking. "You had merely underestimated your opponent. You had assumed she still had amnesia and did not remember how to fight."

            "Apparently, she remembered," mumbled Lilith.

            "Yes, she did," said the man with a chuckle as he began to bandage the wound he had just sterilized. He knew she didn't need stitches. She was quite the quick healer. Genetic tampering was a wonderful thing when done correctly. 

            "Do you miss her?" asked Lilith quietly not noticing the surprised expression her question had caused to appear on her companion's face. He bowed his head in thought and remained silent for so long, she figured he wouldn't answer. She knew it was a poor topic of discussion with him.

            "Yes…yes, I do," he finally answered as he slowly lifted his head. "And I know you do too. That is why we will get her back. No matter what it takes or who we have to kill…we will get her back."    

***   

            _Stuck on this damn ship again,_ thought Faye as she snuck around trying to avoid Spike. Initially, the idea of sleeping with him sounded like a damn good one to her…but then time crept by bringing its friend doubt along with it. Maybe she was delaying the inevitable. Maybe he would never love her like she wanted him to. Maybe she really meant nothing to him despite his argument otherwise. She had too much on her mind to let the lunkhead assault her now. 

            She eventually found herself tucked away in a corner of the hangar sucking on a cigarette. _Ah, sweet solitude_, she thought not daring to speak out loud. In excess it was hell, but in moderation it was bliss. Leaning her head back she let out a sigh of contentment. Suddenly, light flooded the hangar and her muscles tensed for flight.

            "Faye, is that you?" came Jet's voice as he approached her. "What are you doing in here in the dark?"

            Faye sighed in relief. "Oh, it's just you…I was just enjoying some time to myself."

            "But why can't you just…" Jet shook his head refusing to finish the rest of his question. He guessed he would never understand women's twisted logic. He climbed up the side of the Hammerhead and retrieved the comm. link device he had left inside its monopod. That being done, he left the hangar in silence.

            Hours seemed to have passed as she smoked all of her cigarettes out of boredom. Finally, slumped against the cold metal wall, blessed sleep came to relieve her of her plight. 

***   

            "Hey, Jet, are you okay?" asked Eden as she started to strip off her borrowed clothes and pull on the pajamas she had recently bought with Faye.

            Jet glanced at her from his position on the bed and quickly snapped his head away, embarrassed. Obviously, she hadn't quite grasped the concept of modesty yet, not that he was complaining. He had caught a lovely glimpse of her exposed upper torso as her long, dark hair cascaded down to cover it. "I'm fine," he replied simply not wanting to burden her with his further discoveries about her past.

            "Did you find anything?" she asked in reference to his earlier research.

            "We can talk about that tomorrow," he answered quickly. "Right now…let's just get some rest." He finished his sentence sounding as weary as he felt.

            "Okay," agreed Eden with a smile as she climbed into bed next to him. She snuggled against him in such a cute manner that he couldn't help himself from putting his arm around her. They soon fell asleep.

***

            "I don't love you and I never will," spoke Spike coldly with a look of determination plastered on his face.

            "But…you haven't even given me a chance," argued Faye trying to mask her hurt feelings.

            "How can I do that if my heart is dead?" he asked his expression moving to apathy.

            Faye felt the impact of his words hit her like a bullet to the chest. The feeling blossomed in her heart and radiated throughout her nerves. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find her voice.

            "Give up, already," he said after noticing her state. "It's not like you can do anything about it. I've already had my true love…I don't need _you_…"

            Faye woke suddenly from her nightmare disorientated. Her surroundings were practically pitch black, but she knew she wasn't in the hangar anymore. There was a soft bed beneath her back. She tried to sit up but noticed a weight held her down. The weight shifted and she heard the murmur of a deep voice beside her.

            "Spike?" she whispered confused.

            "Hmm?" 

            "Where the hell am I?" she asked a bit more loudly.

            "In bed," he mumbled.

            "I gathered that much, genius," she retorted sardonically. "I suppose this is your room. How did I get here?"

            "I carried you. How else would you get here?" he said beginning to sound irritated. "What were you doing sleeping in the hangar anyway? Trying to hide from me?"

            Faye sat up and heatedly threw his arm off of her. "You know, you could have put me in my own damn bedroom," she said giving him a scowl she hoped he could see.

            "I could have," he said as he sat up next to her, "but where's the fun in that?"

            His harsh words from her nightmare flashed through her mind. "But…you don't love me," she said quietly.

            Her statement caught him off guard. She noticed him lower his head in the dim light that entered the room from the crack at the bottom of his door. Silence ruled the room for a while before he carefully replied. "Faye…I don't think I'm really sure what love is anymore. All I know is that I care about you…more deeply than I ever thought possible."

            "But…why _me_?" she asked letting desperation leak into her voice.

            Spike looked off into the distance with a thoughtful expression playing gently on his facial features. "For two months after you saved me…I didn't feel anything." He paused and took a deep breath. "This horrible emptiness settled into me. I figured I'd finally pushed myself too far…that after those years of longing, my heart had finally given up. I grew to accept that. Then…then, I saw you on the deck with a gun to your head, and after seeing that…everything changed. Somehow, that night, you managed to wake me up. That was the night I realized how much you meant to me."

            Faye remained silent as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She had never imagined she could've had that kind of impact on him. Shock and euphoria spread through her making her so light headed she fell back against the pillow. _I woke him up…_she thought. _I mean something to him…_It was then that the magnitude of the situation dawned on her. She covered her face with her hands and started to sob. Finally, after years of being alone and lost, someone truly cared about her. Someone wanted to be with her just for being her. She felt him pry her hands from her face and ease her into a sitting position. Strong arms encircled her pressing her firmly against his body. He began to gently rock her and rub her back in a soothing manner to subside her crying.

            "You know…I remember that when I was little, this is how my mother would calm me down. I remember how comforting it felt…" he trailed off as if he was lost in some distant memory. 

            Faye calmed almost instantly as he nearly lulled her to sleep with his movements. He stopped and whispered her name. She looked up at him still cradled in his protective arms. A feeling of surrealism flooded her senses as she watched him lean down and lightly press his lips to hers. When he pulled away and carefully laid her down she was in a daze.

            Leaning over her recumbent form he took in her features. First, he noticed her hair had gotten slightly longer as he let the silken locks pass through his fingers. Second, he ran his hands over her ivory skin marveling at how it glowed in contrast to his tan complexion. Then, his gaze moved to her face and slight blush on her cheeks. Her heavy lidded, deep green eyes captivated him and he couldn't stave off his growing desire. Pale hands reached up to comb through his messy hair then travel down his neck to rest on his back. This deliberately sensual action pushed his urges beyond control.

            As Faye clung weakly to Spike's back, he dipped his head down suddenly crushing her lips with his own. She returned the kiss with equal passion as his hands roamed over her flesh annoyed by the cloth he encountered. Within the span of a minute he managed to expertly remove every article of clothing on both of their bodies. He let his hands and mouth explore the terrain of her body until he was satisfied he knew every inch of her. Every curve, every taunt muscle, every blemish or smooth expanse was a discovery to him. He couldn't honestly remember ever wanting to admire a woman this way. As he adored one of her svelte legs she sat up. Playfully, she shoved him onto his back and crawled on top of him straddling his hips. She smiled down at him devilishly and spoke.

            "Okay…not it's _my_ turn."

***    

            Harsh wind whipped sand against her cloaked body as she tried to shield herself from the storm. The canvas flaps of the tent did little to stop the onslaught. Her hair came loose from its turban and flew around wildly as she pulled the cloak tighter around her curled up form. She felt a hand grab her shoulder and draw her towards the comforting warmth of its owner. Looking to her side, she expected to see one of her sisters, but instead saw the dark, looming figure of a man. She couldn't see his face yet but felt safe in his embrace.

            The scene shifted from the storm to tranquil seas of sand spread out before her. Behind her stood a makeshift camp. From the distance she saw a woman sprinting towards her. The closer the woman got the more she seemed familiar. When she came to a stop before her she peered into eyes that mirrored her own. Looking at this woman's face was like looking at her own reflection.

            "Zillah," she heard herself speak. "Is something wrong?" she asked sensing her "twin's" distress.

            "I found something…" replied the woman apparently named Zillah. "I found…a man."

            "Is he one of ours?" she demanded.

            "I…don't know…" answered Zillah.

            "Then why didn't you kill him?"

            Eden was jarred awake by the force of the woman's voice. But hadn't that been _her_ voice? Was she dreaming of her former life? Perhaps that had been a memory from her time at war. She had no way of telling for sure. It all seemed so foreign to her. The image of the woman that looked almost exactly like her haunted her waking mind.

            "Zillah," she whispered as she pushed some hair out of her face. "Why does that name sound so…familiar?"

            She shook her head clear and sighed. Jet was snoring contentedly beside her as she gazed at him fondly for a few minutes. Quietly, she slipped out of bed and decided a shower sounded like a wonderful idea. On the way out of the room, she grabbed one of her new outfits and swore to talk to Jet about her dream once he woke up. Maybe he could shed some light on her predicament. 

***   

            The first thing to grace his conscious mind was her scent. Sweet and musky, it permeated his room reminding him of some exotic flower. He rolled onto his side to put his arm around her and became instantly shocked when his hand fell on the vacant mattress. Anxiety tightened in his chest as he flew off of his bed and hastily pulled on his training pants. Stumbling out of his room he nearly ran into Jet who was on his way to the kitchen.

            "Whoa, there! Slow down!" said Jet as Spike caught his balance and ran off down the hallway. "If you're looking for breakfast, it's not ready yet!" he called after his lanky comrade. He then shook his head and looked around briefly. "Hmmm…I wonder where Eden is?"

            The first place Spike headed for was the kitchen. He slowed down when he saw smoke billowing out of the door. Cautiously, he peeked through the door and tried to make out the source of the recent culinary blunder. The smoke wasn't that bad yet, but it was getting gradually worse. He spotted Eden by the stove coughing and fanning something with her hand. Before he could spring to action, Jet came thundering through the door.

            "Oh, god…what's on fire this time?!" he shouted looking around frantically. His crisis radar kicked in and he dove to grab the burning pan off of the stove and rush for the sink. Soon, the pot was submerged in water and merely smoldering. 

            "Jet," said Eden looking slightly frightened. "I…need to talk to you."

            "I know, but it'll have to wait," he replied trying to calm his frayed nerved. He began to brew a pot of coffee.

            Spike chose that opportune moment to casually stroll into the kitchen as if he wasn't feeling frantic and anxious. Jet seemed distracted so he leaned over and whispered into Eden's ear if she had seen Faye. She startled him when she turned her bright, troubled eyes to momentarily stare into his. People with emotion filled eyes always startled him. He felt as if he were gazing into their raw souls. When her eyes swept over to Jet, she looked on the verge of tears but still answered him.

            "I saw her leave when I got out of the shower," she said in a shaky voice. "She looked like she was in a rush."

            Though his face didn't show a shred of emotion, Spike felt a terrible sinking sensation in his stomach. For a few seconds he thought he might be sick. He mumbled a "thanks" and made a hasty exit. Eden continued to stare at Jet for about five more minutes as he waited for his coffee rubbing his temples and sighing frequently. 

            "Okay," he said eventually approaching Eden with a fresh cup of coffee in hand. "I'm ready. Let's go to the bridge and talk."

***    

            _She left_, he thought while sucking on a cigarette and aggressively scrubbing his Swordfish. The first thing he had done after hearing she left was run like a fool to the hangar. Apparently, his instincts had told him to go find her, but he had no clue as to where he should even start looking. So, instead of looking suspicious and walking back to his room, he decided his baby needed to be cleaned.

            As wild and unreasonable thoughts swirled in his mind, his knuckles turned white from his death grip on the scrubbing broom. Usually, washing his ship was an enjoyable and relaxing experience. Today, he was venting his frustration through this act and absent-mindedly hoping he didn't scratch the faded paint anymore.

            _What if she doesn't come back?_

_            What if she regrets last night?_

_            What if she hates me now?_

            His mind was driving him insane. Crying out he threw the broom aside and sank to the floor grasping his head and forcing the internal voice to shut the hell up. Why did he even care so much if she came back? He knew the answer but it quite frankly scared him. With a ragged sigh, he retrieved the broom and continued his violent cleaning. 

***   

            "I had a dream last night," stated Eden.

            "About what?" asked Jet from his usual seat at the control panel. He quickly punched in come coordinates and turned his attention to Eden sitting beside him.

            "I was on a desert planet. There was a man with me in one part but I couldn't really see his face. The other part…" she trailed off staring off into space though the bridge windows. "There was a woman there and she looked just like me."

            "It was one of your 'sisters'. The woman that attacked you yesterday was also one of your sisters," explained Jet. "I found more information on them last night."

            "Where are they? And…why would one of them try to hurt me?" asked Eden looking extremely eager and confused.

            Jet sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "I don't know why Lilith tried to hurt you. Maybe she was just trying to knock you out so she could take you to her accomplice without hassle."

            "Lilith? That's her name? Wait…you think she has an accomplice?"

            "I'm almost positive," he answered.

            She lowered her head in her characteristic meek attitude. "Where are my other sisters?"

            "They're dead, Eden," he said bluntly feeling no need to beat around the bush. She deserved the truth. "All five of you were sent to Titan to fight in the war. They wanted to test your abilities. Only Lilith and you survived. One of the files said the trauma of warfare and your sister's deaths may have been the cause of your memory loss. You must have seen some horrible things happen."

            Eden pondered what he had said. Slowly, she was gaining pieced of her old life, but not nearly enough to constitute as memories. The more she figured out, though, the more she wondered if she really wanted to remember anything.

            "Eden," said Jet breaking her train of thought. He turned towards her and grasped her hand as he stared intently into her startled eyes. "I know this must be painful for you…and I'd much rather the past stay buried…but there is a woman out there that is after you. I don't know why or what her motivations are, but I'll be _damned_ if I let anyone hurt you! I need to figure this out…and I can't do that without your help."

            She stared back into his blue eyes and saw the concern and raw determination radiating from them. All she could utter was a thank you before throwing her arms around him. Jet beamed with pride as he embraced her back. He had never imagined he would find a woman that truly wanted and needed his protection. But, here she was, in his arms. He couldn't have been happier.

***

To be continued….  

Author's Note: Sorry this update took so long…(damn, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record) I don't have a good excuse except that this horrid writer's block took hold of my mind.  In fact, I think this session is kinda shabby compared to rest, but I am my own worst critic  ^_^  If the gods will it…I will be updating again soon. Oh, and forgive any grammar errors…I wanted to get this uploaded quick before work O.o

Musetta22: I wrote more! Finally! Heh.

Outis: That was beautiful and appropriate! Thank you for sharing ^_^

Rupeshwari: Thank you ^_^ Sorry if I did keep you waiting too long, I'll try to be better in the future. *crosses fingers for luck* 

Kendra Luehr: Thank you for the megaphone announcement! I think it worked! Lol

XinXchainsX: I don't want you to cry! Here, read! Hehe…thank you ^_^

Bec126: Thank you! I'm surprised at how many people wanted me to update! I appreciate the support!

Red-Tenko: I realized Jet was being kinda mean to Faye, but he usually was in the anime…so, it's not right and now I have to think of a way for him to apologize…or see the light. Hmmm…*thinking*  Thanks for the compliment on the romantic scenes, cause I was wondering if I was pulling them off well at all. ^_^

Pimpin Satan: Thank you! ^_^ I doubted that I kept Spike in Faye somewhat in character and it's nice to know it's believable. As for the mystery man…he will make an appearance in the next session and I am itchin' to write him in *evil laugh* Hehe…

Teef: Thank you! I'm glad you like it and I hope to update more frequently now that winter break is here.


	9. Session 8: The Mystery Man

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop.

Session 8: The Mystery Man

________________________________________________________________________

            "Hey, Spike," said Jet as he ventured into the hangar. He watched as his comrade heatedly tossed buckets of water on his ship to rinse off the soap. "Are you okay?" he asked hesitantly. 

            "Fine," replied Spike in a flat tone. "What's up?"

            "I set coordinates for Earth. There's a bounty there I want to catch."

            "Okay," said Spike refilling the bucket from a nearby spicket.

            "Hey…have you seen Faye?" asked Jet casually after noticing the absence of the Redtail. 

            "Nope," answered Spike trying his damndest to act nonchalant. Surprisingly, it was actually quite difficult for him to pull off this time.

            "Oh…just wondering," said Jet already meandering towards the door. "See ya at dinner."

            Spike was now alone. He threw the bucket of water on the Swordfish before tossing it aside and staring blankly ahead of him. He didn't know what to do now. Work out? Take a shower? Take a nap? No, he was far too antsy to sleep. He decided suddenly that a vigorous Jeet Kun Do session then a shower was his best bet.

            As his work out session dragged on, Spike managed to achieve temporary peace of mind. It ended the second he stopped and realized hours had passed since he started. And she still hadn't returned. He didn't notice Eden silently walk onto the bridge where he now stood staring out one of the windows.

            "Spike…is something wrong?" she asked now standing beside him. 

            Spike jumped, startled out of his troubled thoughts. He was usually pretty perceptive, but then again, Eden was usually eerily quiet. "Uh…why would you think that?" was his half-hearted reply.

            "Jet mentioned earlier that you were acting strange," explained Eden, always painfully honest, "and you've been working out for about three hours straight now."

            He remained quiet for several minutes debating with himself if he could trust Eden. He eventually decided he needed to talk to someone. "Can I tell you something…something confidential?" he asked glancing at her briefly, then looking away embarrassed. 

            "Sure. I won't tell anyone," she responded still staring out the window at a nearby planet.

            "Well…uh…Faye and I…we're kinda…involved, now," he paused feeling extremely uncomfortable and almost positive he was blushing. "And you see…she's been missing…er, gone…since I woke up…"

            "You're worried she won't come back," said Eden finishing the sentence Spike was having difficulties choking out.

            "Well…yeah," he said in a defeated tone lowering his head. He suddenly felt Eden's warm hand on his bare shoulder. Hesitantly, he met her gaze once again startled by the emotion her eyes emitted. 

            "Don't worry. She'll be back." Her voice came out in a soothing, motherly manner. "I have it under good authority she cares about you…very deeply. She won't abandon you. Now, come on. Dinner's ready."

            He never had a chance to tell her, but her words had an almost immediate calming effect on him. They both walked to the common room in silence where Jet already had dinner spread out on the coffee table, or their equivalent thereof. As they ate and chatted over a pretty good meal, considering Jet cooked it, the hangar door opened. It was a dull, muffled sound that Jet and Eden didn't seem to notice as they talked. Spike noticed, though, and his entire body tensed.

            What happened next seemed to move in slow motion for him. He continued to methodically chew his dinner as if he was a programmed robot. Footsteps thudded towards the common room. Bags fell to the floor near his seat on the chair. A sweet, intoxicating scent flooded his senses as she brushed past him to sit on the edge of the coffee table. Her fiery green eyes momentarily locked with his garnet ones as he struggled like hell to keep the tidal wave at bay. He watched, almost frowning, as she crossed her legs in a maddeningly sexy manner and flipped back some of her silky hair.

            "So, what's for dinner? Did I miss anything…exciting?" she spoke throwing Spike a sideways glance and a wink through her feathery, dark bangs. It had become her habit as of late to wear her bangs down.

            Spike nearly choked on a piece of broccoli. In a moment that he would later claim was temporary insanity, he slammed down his plate and chopsticks and rose to his feet to glare down at her. "Where the _hell_ have you been?!" he asked a bit too loudly as his face flushed red with anger.

            Faye blinked a couple of times before gesturing to the bags on the floor. "Shopping," she offered with a befuddled expression.

            Jet and Eden, sitting side by side on the couch, had stopped eating. They were staring in awe at the bizarre spectacle that was taking place right before their very eyes.

            "You could've let me know before you just ran off like that! I've been worried about you all day!" shouted Spike apparently forgetting that he had spectators.

            "Hey! I'm a grown woman and I can take care of my fucking self!" retaliated Faye standing up to glare back at him at a more appropriate level.

            "I know that…wait a minute…Where did you get money to go shopping? You haven't caught a bounty in two months," he said giving her a suspicious look.

            "The reason I haven't caught a bounty is because when I asked to go last time, Jet told me I couldn't! So, I borrowed some of your money and tripled it at the casino," explained Faye producing a wad of bills and waving them around.

            "You took my money?!" yelled Spike with a priceless incredulous expression. 

            "No, I _borrowed _your money," corrected Faye. "Here, have it back if it's so important." She threw the money at him and stalked out of the common room, retrieving her bags as she left.

            Spike stared at her retreating back mouth agape as money fluttered to the floor around him. It was about then that Eden made a small noise that diverted his attention to his two couch side spectators. His eyes swept over them as his face lit up a brilliant red. Forgetting about his food and money, he quickly ran out of the room. He found his way to her bedroom door and knocked.

            "Go away!" Faye shouted, obviously irritated.

            "Hey…come on, I'm sorry," said Spike as quietly as he could. "Just let me in."

            The door suddenly swung open to reveal a perplexed Faye. "Did you…just say you were sorry?" she asked.

            "Kinda…well, I guess…" stuttered Spike averting his gaze before pushing past her as he walked into the room. Faye shut the door and turned to stare at him.

            "So…I guess Jet knows our little secret thanks to your big mouth," she said placing her hands on her hips.

            "I know, I know," he sighed as he plopped down on the bed and ran his hands through his dark hair. "I just lost it…I don't know why."

            "It couldn't possibly be because you were worried about me," said Faye sarcastically as she sat next to him.

            "Listen, I was worried, okay?" he retorted sharply nailing her with an intense glare. "I thought maybe that you were attempting another one of your famous disappearing acts."

            Faye blinked a couple of times before responding. "Awww! How sweet! You really _do_ care!" she said dramatically throwing her arms around him and knocking them both flat on the bed.

            "Dammit, Faye! Don't you know how to take anything seriously?!" argued Spike unsuccessfully trying to free himself from the long limbs that grasped him.

            "Sure, I do," she said freeing him enough so that he could sit up.

            He looked down and noticed one of her thin legs was still draped over his. His eyes traveled up the leg to further notice that her short skirt had bunched itself up and the smooth curve of her bare rear end was now visible. He wanted her badly right then, but had to remind himself he was still upset with her.

            "I know that look," she said before he could utter another complaint. She quickly repositioned herself by climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his torso. Her lips brushed against his ear. "How does a quickie sound?" she whispered seductively.

            The offer was incredibly difficult to refuse and he couldn't hide the fact it turned him on. Even as his mind told him "no" his hands locked onto her inviting hips. "You are incorrigible," he whispered as her hands began to roam.

            "And sexy," she added, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She pushed him onto this back once again. "I'm sorry I worried you," she spoke as she started to kiss his neck. "If you'll let me, I'll make it up to you right now." Finding no words of protest, Faye's deft fingers set to work.

***   

            "Where are they headed, my dear?" asked the man from his seat in the shadows.

            "Earth," answered Lilith from the control panel of the ship. "They're after a bounty hiding out there."

            "Hmm…Earth. Our forgotten homeland. How ironic that we should intercept her on a planet of broken memories," mused the man with a small smile.

            "She may attack again," said Lilith glancing over her shoulder.

            "That's fine," said the man standing and slowly walking up behind his female companion. "We'll be prepared. She is not getting away this time."

***   

            When Jet awoke the next morning, he was still confused. His mind simply could not accept the fact that Spike and Faye may be involved. He threw a weary glance to their bedroom doors before making his way to the bridge. The Bebop had nearly reached Earth and he had to ensure she landed safely. Locking his mind on business, he found it easy to forget the shocking events of the last night.  

            Eden soon wandered onto the bridge still in her pajamas. She stared in awe at the blue and green comet shrouded planet the ship approached.

            "Is that Earth?" she asked startling Jet.

            "Oh, Eden! I didn't hear you…yes, that's Earth. We'll be landing shortly and before we find the bounty I need to go get some supplies."

            "Can I come with you?" she asked hopefully. 

            "I don't see why not, but you'll have to stay on the Bebop when we leave to track down the bounty," he said smiling up at her from his seat.

            "Okay," she agreed sounding like an eager child. "I'll go get ready." She suddenly bounded off of the bridge headed towards the shower. In her excitement, she forgot to mention to Jet that she had had another dream. In this one she had been doing some rather intimate things with a man. She assumed it was the same man she'd dreamt about the previous night, but she still could not clearly make out his face. Another part of the dream had been a conversation with Zillah, but she didn't really remember what they had said. She marveled at the fact these "memories" could feel simultaneously so familiar and yet so foreign.

***   

            Faye awoke with a start. The feel of his lean, naked body pressed to the back of hers momentarily confused her. Then she remembered the events of the previous night and smiled. She noticed that his arm was protectively draped over her waist. He had done that the last time they had slept together and she figured it was one of the ways he chose to keep his woman close. She had never figured him for the affectionate type but was slowly discovering he had little endearing qualities that continued to surprise her.

            The ship suddenly trembled and lurched upsetting the couple in bed. Spike jerked awake as his arm instinctively grasped Faye tightly.

            "Mmmm…good morning," he mumbled delighted she was indeed next to him this time.

            "Morning," responded Faye rolling over to face him. "That felt like one of Jet's infamous landings. Were we headed anywhere in particular?"

            "Yeah, Earth," said Spike after yawning.

            "Earth? Why?" asked Faye mildly irritated by the news.

            "Bounty," was his simple reply before pulling her against his body and sighing into her hair.

            "What's up with you?" came her muffled voice as her face was mashed between the pillow and his skin. "Are you usually this lovey dovey in the morning?"

            Apparently her comment offended him, because the next thing she knew he had pushed her away and sat up. She didn't care, though. Now she could breathe. He climbed off the bed and pulled on his training pants.

            "I'm gonna go take a shower," he announced as he left the room.

            "Not without me you aren't!" Faye hollered springing from bed and quickly throwing on a robe. She barely had it closed when she burst from the room to chase Spike into the shower room.

***   

            Jet emerged from his room with his comm. unit ready to leave to go supply shopping. He happened to see Spike emerging from the shower and decided to tell him where he was going. Before he could open his mouth he saw none other than Faye step out of the room next wrapped only in a small towel. He nearly dropped the comm. unit as they began to argue.

            "I still don't understand why I had to share the shower," complained Spike as he vigorously scrubbed his hair dry with a towel, as was his habit.

            "Because, you would've used all the damn hot water and I didn't feel like freezing my ass off today!" explained Faye crossing her arms over her poorly concealed cleavage. 

            "Whatever. It's not like I haven't froze my ass off plenty of times because of you…" Spike's eyes roamed to Jet and he instantly fell silent.

            "What the hell are you gawking at…oh." Faye spotted Jet and also fell silent.

            Jet felt like a deer caught in headlights. "Uhm…we're going out for supplies…uh…we'll be back soon." That said, he fled the hallway with much more haste than he originally intended.

            "While your out, get me some chocolate!" shouted Faye to Jet's retreating back.

            "Chocolate? I thought you went shopping yesterday," said Spike quirking an eyebrow at her.

            "I did, but I didn't buy any food," she replied haughtily as she sauntered off towards her room.

            Spike merely rolled his eyes in response before finding his own room.

***  

            Eden was ridiculously excited to be let off of the ship to go supply shopping. Even though Earth was a shadow of its former self and half in ruins, she seemed endlessly fascinated by its rough apparel. She loved the tobacco store and happily sniffed the flavored cigars as Jet made his bi-weekly cigarette purchase. She was captivated by the general supply store and asked what all the odd appliances were. She even seemed enchanted by the meat and fruit markets staring with great concentration at everything she deemed interesting. The barrage of questions she assaulted Jet with was steadily getting on his nerves. When they came to the edge of the small strip of stores the town had to offer, Jet ordered Eden to "wait outside" as he ducked into his last destination. He knew he could be in and out in minutes without her asking him what every bloody contraption on the shelf was.

            As Eden waited, idly swinging the shopping bags she held, curiosity got the best of her. She cautiously looked around, then walked to the edge of the town to peer at the expanse of land beyond. In the slight distance she could see the remains of a city with its various broken buildings and craters littering the surrounding area. She climbed on top of a broken slab of concrete to get a better look. As the wind blew her dress gently around her legs, her memory suddenly lapsed. The bags fell to the concrete.

            Standing about ten feet away from her was the willowy figure of a blond woman.

            _"Lilith,"_ spoke Eden as her eyes narrowed and her body tensed.

            "Tell me, sister," said Lilith as she approached Eden with a grave expression, "do you plan on attacking me again?"

            "Treacherous slut!" spat Eden falling into a fighting stance. "Come any closer and I will **_kill_** you!"

            Lilith stopped dead in her tracks and chuckled. "Still upset about Zillah? You of all people should understand that war has…casualties."

            Eden became enraged at the mention of Zillah and charged Lilith. The women engaged in hand-to-hand combat for a brief time before being distracted.

            "That's _enough_!" came a powerful and frightfully familiar voice.

            Eden froze in mid-punch to gaze wide-eyed over her shoulder. She saw a man walking towards her and the sight of him made her begin to tremble. He stopped mere feet from her, his black trench coat billowing in the wind. His short, dark hair framed his angular, aging face and his hard, blue eyes stared at her intensely. 

            "Vincent!" she exclaimed overcome with shock. "They told me you were…you're supposed to be…"

            "Dead?" asked Vincent finishing Eden's phrase. "I'm afraid they lied to you, my dear."

            The sound of his deep, monotone voice began to soothe Eden's frayed nerves. "They told me many disturbing things before I lost my mind."  
            "Do you remember where you have been since Richard revived you?" asked Vincent.

            "I…I think I remember a man, a tall man…after Richard was…killed," responded Eden sounding doubtful.

            "Good," he said smiling faintly. "You're memory is beginning to merge."

            "Merge? What are you talking about?" she asked.

            "You don't remember much that has happened to you since you've been revived, do you?" asked Vincent drawing near to her and lying a hand on her perplexed face.

            "Not really…" said Eden as she lost herself in the depth of his dark eyes.

            "Your memory has been divided into two," he explained gazing at her fondly. "When something, for example, Lilith, triggers your old memory, it becomes dominant. When the trigger disappears, you lapse back into amnesia. By keeping you around a trigger continuously, we can allow your two memories to merge."  
            "If you intend to keep me around Lilith for long, she will not live to see another day," said Eden, her voice saturated in determination.

            Vincent laughed before ducking out of the way of a sudden bullet. He expertly flung Eden in front of himself and secured her in an arm lock.

            "Damn…" swore Jet as he lowered his gun slightly. He knew leaving her alone had been a bad idea, and he mentally kicked himself for doing it against his better judgment. "_Eden!_" he shouted in desperation as the man began to drag her away.

            Eden didn't recognize the man trying to save her at first, but when he called her name his voice brought back flashes of happy memories. She watched helplessly as her would-be savior charged blindly towards them and Lilith sprang into action. Thankfully, she didn't shoot or try to kill him. She just brutally knocked him unconscious. 

            "_Jet!"_ she cried out struggling against Vincent's iron grip.

            As strong as Vincent was, he was no match for Eden's strength when she was determined. Soon, she threw off his arms and ran towards Jet. She didn't get far before she felt a small prick in the side of her neck. Grogginess began to veil her senses as her hand reached up to touch the tranquilizer dart lodged in her skin. She fell motionless to the dusty earth seconds later. 

            Lilith picked up Eden's limp body with little effort and slung it over her shoulder. As soon as she started running away, a hailstorm of bullets hit. She did not even bother to look back and discover who the assailants were even as a bullet tore into her shoulder close to the previous injury. When she met up with Vincent, he retrieved Eden and they both quickly disappeared behind some large chunks of debris.

            Faye impulsively threw her gun to the ground in frustration as Spike took off after the kidnappers. She sighed heavily and stooped beside Jet's fallen body.

            "Hey…are you okay?" she asked roughly shaking his shoulder. "Please, tell me you're not dead…_hey! Wake up!_" she shouted as she became increasingly worried.

            Jet groaned and began to stir. "Feels like a freight train hit my head…" he muttered sitting up with Faye's help. All of a sudden, he became frantic. "_Oh god!…_oh my god…_Where's Eden?!"_ he asked loudly looking around and trying unsuccessfully to climb to his feet. 

            "Jet, stop!" cried Faye holding him down to the best of her ability. He was still far too dizzy to stand, let alone run. "Spike went after them…listen, you have to relax…you probably have a concussion." She felt extremely odd playing the role of the concerned and rational parental figure. It was like her and Jet had swapped positions. 

            "Oh god…I've failed her…" said Jet in a dejected tone covering his face with a hand. "I told her I wouldn't let anything happen to her…"

            Faye awkwardly put an arm around his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. She hoped he wouldn't start crying or anything close to it. "She'll be okay. If Spike can't get her back, which he probably can, then we'll never stop looking until we find her," she said reassuringly.

            Jet barely heard Faye's words, he was far too lost in his own morbid thoughts. He never even figured out who the accomplice was, even though, upon seeing him he looked familiar. He hoped with all his heart that Spike did get her back, because if he didn't…there was a slim chance he would ever see Eden again.

To be contined…..

Authors Note:

So…how was it??? Did I go too far with the mystery man? I like the way it turned out and it has so much more potential. And I'm going to try to explore more of Eden's past in the next chapter. Not too much…I don't want to bore you all. And of course, no chapter is complete without Spike and Faye! I won't forget them. I'm thinking of starting a new story based on Spike and Faye mainly. Perhaps an alternate reality…don't know, still brainstorming. The possibilities are endless. Hope you all enjoyed this session ^_^ 

To my Reviewers:

Pimpin Satan:  Yes, Faye pulled a gimpy…but she came back ^_^ I hope you like the plot twists in this chapter. I think I think about them too much….Hope you liked the revealed mystery man too. I really dig Vincent's character, so I'm not going to let him die either 0.o hehe…Thanks for the review!

Red Tenko: I'm glad you liked the update, hope you like this one too. I very much enjoyed your update also ^_^ I didn't really get Faye's POV in but I at least explained where she was! I really want to experiment with a POV story though….thanks for the review and the compliments on the names! They're some of my favorites and all biblical, so they have a theme.

Cbdbz247: Thank you for the review! I made Faye come back, couldn't leave poor ole Spikey alone. I'm still working on Spike learning to let go and love again. He's established that he deeply cares for her though, and that's a good start, I think.

This-side-up: Thank you ^_^ What a flattering review! I'm glad the characters are playing out well. I hadn't realized I was writing in symbolism and coincidences, but I've been told I have a natural knack for it. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, I do aim to please.

Outis: I'm hoping for a happy ending, but the story is kinda writing itself. If it's not too happy, I promise to write a redeeming sequel ;) Thanks for the review!

Kendra Luehr: Glad you liked the romantic love scenes. I love writing them (sap and all, hehe…) Thanks for having confidence in me! ^_^ I appriciate it. It's amazing that you update so frequently, I try to…I usually have the session wrote in a notebook for weeks before actually getting a chance to type it. Well, thanks for the great review and keep up your writing too!

Musetta22: Thank you! ^_^ What a lovely compliment! I'm glad I did the characters justice and that the story is beautiful. It's something I strive for.

Wow….now I am _really_ exhausted. This typing sucked the last bit of life from me. I think I'm going to go watch Futurama reruns now and try to forget I've been running around a campus all week. Thanks for reading! ~.^ 


	10. Session 9: A Tragic Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Session 9: A Tragic Past

________________________________________________________________________

            Spike sprinted after the kidnappers all the way to the abandoned city. He spotted them near an old ship nestled amongst the wrecked buildings. The man practically tossed Eden to the woman and she disappeared into the ship. The man merely stood there as if waiting. Spike approached him with his gun aimed for his head.

            "Spike Spiegel…how nice to see you again," said the man with a smirk.

            Spike blinked as his grip on his gun nearly faltered. "Vincent?" he asked trying not to sound as surprised as he felt.

            "You remember me. I'm flattered."

            "But…you're supposed to be dead," said Spike narrowing his eyes thoughtfully. "Electra killed you. I saw them haul off your body."

            Vincent chuckled. "Yes, she did try, didn't she? I suppose a woman in love doesn't aim too well."

            "Well, my aim will be much better, I assure you," said Spike squeezing the trigger. The gun kicked slightly under his steady grip and he looked ahead in shock to see Vincent charging him, unharmed.

            Soon, the gun went flying to the ground with a puff of dust and Spike felt the impact of a boot on his jaw. He fell to the side and quickly recovered with a smile on his face. This was the style of fighting he loved best. Man to man…no weapon but your own body. He sent a well-aimed retaliation kick to Vincent's head, which barely fazed him. Spike readied himself for another kick when he felt a strange little prick in his neck. He didn't pay much attention to it until he tried to kick and fell to the ground dizzy. Vincent loomed over him when he looked up from his sitting position. He could've sworn he had a wistful expression on his face from what he could make out through blurred vision.

            "It has been a pleasure to fight you again, Spike," he spoke in his low, even voice. "Unfortunately, I don't have the time to continue. I believe I see Faye approaching. Tell her I said 'hello'."

            "You…coward…" choked out Spike as he fell to the ground on his side, the strength draining from his limbs. He looked up at Vincent's retreating form and noticed that the woman was standing at an open hatch. She must've been the one that shot him with the tranquilizer. This being the second time he had been duped in such a manner, he silently cursed the person who invented them. The world turned black seconds later.

            Faye ran to Spike's unconscious form as the hatch to the ship closed and it's engines loudly fired up. It showered them in dust and foreign particles from buildings as it lifted off the ground. Faye shielded Spike's body with her own as the dust settled and the ship disappeared into the sky.

            Knowing his M.O. for encountering villains, Faye quickly searched his body for bullet holes and lethal injuries. No blood. Nothing but a dart in his neck. She hoped it wasn't poison. She quickly yanked it out and threw it aside. Trying to wake him proved futile. He was out like a rock.

            "Dammit!" she swore pounding her fists on the ground and kicking up more dust. "You may be skinny, lunkhead, but I don't know if I can carry you all the way back to the ship."

            A sudden scuffling sound near them caused Faye to draw her retrieved gun and aim. She sighed when she saw it was only Jet, stumbling to the rescue. He used the surrounding debris to brace himself as he walked towards them, but seemed to be must less dizzy.

            "Is he okay?" was Jet's first question in reference to their accident-prone comrade. 

            "Yeah," she responded looking down at him sleeping peacefully. "I think they nailed him with a tranquilizer. He's snoring."

            Jet offered her a weak smile. "That kid sure loves to sleep. Let's get him back to the ship. Shouldn't be too bad if we both carry him."

            Faye nodded as Jet scuffled over to the two. They hoisted sleeping beauty up so that they each had one of his arms over their shoulders. He stirred slightly and groaned, but remained unconscious afterwards. As they treaded across the barren wasteland surrounding the town, headed for the ship, Faye knew Jet was horribly upset. But, like the stereotypical man he was, he remained silent about the whole issue. Just glancing at his face told her all she needed to know, though. You didn't live with a man for a couple of years and not be able to read his facial expressions.

            The two laboriously trudged onward as the blaring sun moved across the deceptively clear azure sky.

***    

            Titan was a desolate, barren planet. Eden could barely comprehend why anyone would want to war over the piece of rock. It's only saving grace was that it had a natural atmosphere. The only moon of its kind. Maybe that was why Earth and Mars were both so eager to develop it. She did, however, understand why Earth would want it seeing their planet was in ruins from the Gate Accident. But, Mars? Greedy, selfish bastards. They had plenty of developed cities already and were the Super Power of the known universe. Perhaps they thought they were entitled to everything they found and wanted. They were like spoiled children.

            All political opinions aside, Eden didn't mind being at war in the least. She loved combat. She _craved_ combat when they were training her and her sisters at that godforsaken complex on Mars. She had been on Titan long enough to see the worst of the bloody battles take place, and contribute her fair share of casualties. Earth was losing. Mars was like the modern day Germany. Nobody equaled them in combat ability.

            Currently, the Mars troops were taking a little much needed R&R after their latest and successful battle. As she strode by the large ships and tents cratered in sand that consisted of their camp, she gazed at the hundreds of dead bodies littering the land in the distance. Some of them were her kills, she thought proudly. The sight did not disturb her.

            "Eden!" came a loud female voice distracting her. She gazed over her shoulder to see Zillah sitting nestled in a crater surrounding a ship with two men. Of course, with the baggy clothes and turbans everyone wore as a uniform, it was hard to identify anyone. Eden could find Zillah blindfolded, though. Her and her nearly identical sister had a very deep bond. They'd been extremely close their entire lives. She slid down the sand crevice to say hello.

            "Hey, Zillah…found some new friends?" asked Eden as she knelt down before the three and gave them a sly smile.

            "Yes, I did," said Zillah happily. She was always cheerful and positive. A regular social butterfly. "This is Gren and his friend Vicious," she said indicating to the appropriate person as she introduced them.

            "Hello, men," said Eden with an authoritative tone in her voice taking advantage of the fact that she knew they ranked lower than herself.

            "You must be the Eden we've been hearing so much about," said Gren smiling as he shook Eden's hand. "Beside what Zillah has said about you, I've heard rumors that you're incredible on the battlefield."

            "Thanks, I do try," said Eden averting her eyes to glare at Vicious. He stared back at her evenly with cold, pale eyes. She knew that look. It was the look only a killer could produce.

            "I'll bet you have plenty of confirmed kills, don't you, soldier?" she asked furtively as Gren and Zillah stared at them curiously.

            "What does it matter?" asked Vicious looking away as if disinterested and bored.

            His comment took Eden by surprise for a moment and she was glad he wasn't looking at her to see her startled response. "I think perhaps you have forgotten why we're on this damn rock, soldier," she retaliated harshly. She did so love a good conflict and this guy looked like quite a worthy opponent.

            "I believe that you take the war and your love of killing a bit too far…_soldier_," responded Vicious standing up and momentarily glancing at Eden. He gave her a ghost of a smirk then walked away.

            "Oh, don't listen to him, Eden!" said Zillah instantly clinging to her fuming sister's shoulders. "He was just joking around."

            "Somehow, I don't think he's the type to joke," said Eden trying to calm her rising temper. "Smug, fucking bastard."

            Gren laughed as he adjusted the large gun leaning against his shoulder. "That's just Vicious. You either love him or ya hate him."

            Eden threw off her sister and stood up. "Well, I'm about to go teach him a lesson in respect," she said stomping off in the direction he had disappeared.

            "Wait a minute!" shouted Zillah trying to run after her sister. She felt a strong hand restrain her.

            "Let her go," said Gren pulling Zillah back down beside him as he sat down. His warm, deep blue eyes met her light green ones as he smiled. "They'll be fine, and I believe you and I were having a conversation before we were interrupted."

~*~

            "_Vicious_!" 

            He stopped when he heard her powerful voice behind him. So, she wanted a confrontation after all. 

            "Eden," he said turning around, his frigid, piercing eyes locking with hers.** "**I would suggest that you drop your childish pride immediately, or you may not like what I do."

            "And I would suggest you go to hell," said Eden matching his intense glare with her own. "I've never been one to back down from a fight."

            In an act of pure instinct and impulse, Eden charged at Vicious and clocked him across the jaw, quite hard. She then kneed him in the stomach as he recoiled from the punch. He fell to his knees and she was about to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head when he suddenly caught her leg in an iron grip. More quickly than she could comprehend, he swung her around until her body collided painfully with the ship and slid to the sand below. She was dazed at how he seemed to match her own genetically tampered reflexes. There wasn't much time to ponder this thought as Vicious pressed his body to hers and she felt the cool blade of his knife digging into her neck.

            "You may think that you are the best at what you do," he whispered into her ear sending chills down her spine. "But, I _assure_ you…I am much, much better."

            "Vicious!" yelled Eden suddenly awaking from her slumber. She sat up covered in sweat to discover she was on a strange ship. Her hands and feet seemed to be handcuffed and chained to a wall. The chains were long enough to afford her some movement, though. Observing the ship, it reminded her of the Bebop with its worn metal interior. The bridge before her had ancient looking control panels and a large window that offered her a view of the dark expanse of space beyond. Other than that, it was surprisingly empty. It didn't look like a place people lived or frequented.

            "Did you have a nightmare?" asked a deep, monotone voice startling her.

            "Yes…well, not really," said Eden refusing to look at him. "It was actually just a bad memory."

            Vincent knelt down in front of her and took her face in his hands so that she was forced to stare directly into his eyes. "What about our time together on Titan? Do you consider those bad memories?"

            This sent Eden's mind spinning into the past once again…

~*~

            "Zillah. Is something wrong?" she asked sensing her sister's distress.

            "I found something…" replied Zillah. "I found…a man."

            "Is he one of ours?" she demanded.

            "I…don't know…" answered Zillah.

            "Then why didn't you kill him?"

            "Because he's wearing a strange uniform! I didn't want to kill him if I wasn't sure who he was!" protested Zillah waving her arms around in frustration. "Will you please just come and look at him? He seems scared."

            "I highly doubt that," muttered Eden trudging after her sister. They walked for a while before finding the man alone in some desolate area far from the camp. The war was nearly over, Mars having thoroughly decimated the Earth troops. There were still some stragglers, though, and the Home Base had ordered some of the soldiers to stay behind for a bit longer. The three surviving sisters, Lilith, Eden, and Zillah were among the few still there. 

            Upon advancing on the man, who did indeed look scared and confused, Eden immediately identified his uniform. "Mars Special Forces," she said aloud confirming this thought when she grabbed the man's hand and shoved up his sleeve. There on his wrist was the symbol of his unit tattooed in stark, black ink.

            "How can you be sure…?" asked Zillah as she timidly hovered around her sister.

            "Apparently, you didn't pay any attention when they were schooling us," snapped Eden showing her sister the tattoo. "This is the mark of the Mars Special Forces, Team 7. They're fucking elitists that got themselves slaughtered at the Battle of Cronos."

            "So, they all supposedly died in the last great battle," said Zillah gazing at the man confused. "How come he's still alive?"

            "He must have went insane and ran away," she said looking at him piteously. "Soldier…do you know where you are?"

            The man shook his head somewhat comforted by her gentle tone.

            "Do you know your name?" Eden further questioned.

            "V…Vincent," he responded. It was the only thing he could remember. "I don't know how I got here…I don't even remember who I am. And the butterflies…everywhere…"

            Eden and Zillah stared at him perplexed. 

            "Did he say 'butterflies'?" asked Zillah.

            "I think so…Hey, let's get you back to our camp. I need to consult Home Base on this one," said Eden rubbing her temples in exhaustion.

~*~

            Home Base had told Eden and Zillah to keep him safe for the remainder of their time on Titan. They knew who he was but would disclose no information. As the weeks passed and the few stragglers were killed off, the two women grew close to Vincent. They re-taught him how to shoot, which he was excellent at. Eden taught him the art of hand-to-hand combat. They even let him go on a few excursions with them to wipe out remaining enemy camps. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy destroying things and proved an efficient killer. Eden admired his spirit, and unlike Vicious, Vincent was very warm towards her. He considered her his savior. The two soon fell in love.

            They became inseparable during the last few weeks they were together. They braved the sand storms, trained, and even killed together. Frequently, they would sneak off into the sand drifts not to be seen again for hours. Zillah didn't really want to think about what they were doing, though she had a pretty good idea. It was a week until the pick-up date and the three received an unexpected but not unwelcome guest.

            "Lilith!" exclaimed Eden and Zillah running up to their sister and hugging her. Lilith had been stationed at another camp fairly far away from theirs. 

            "It's so good to see you again!" said Lilith smiling fondly at her sisters.

            "Where's the rest of your team?" asked Zillah innocently.

            "Oh, I left them," said Lilith. "I wanted to be with my sisters before we left. Don't worry, they'll be just fine without me."

            The four got along quite well for about five days. Then, tragedy struck. Little did Eden know that Lilith had become obsessed with Vincent and had been secretly trying to seduce him without much luck. He continued to believe they were just good friends. So, on the sixth day, Lilith went insane with rage upon seeing Eden and Vincent kissing. She simply wasn't accustomed to not getting her way. 

            Eden laughed at her sister at first, believing her to be merely throwing a temper tantrum like she usually did. When Lilith pulled out a machine gun and aimed it at her, she quickly ceased laughing. 

            "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, Lilith?" she asked frowning and stepping away from Vincent, who remained silent as he scowled.

            "If I can't have him too, then I'll kill you both!" screamed Lilith.

            "Oh, stop being such a spoiled brat!" yelled Eden terrible pissed off her sister would even dare to say such a thing. "You don't always get what you want, so get over it already."

            Lilith looked like she was on the verge of tears after Eden's little speech. "Why do you always have to be such a bitch?! You treat everyone like shit and they love you for it! _I hate you, Eden!_ _I hate you!!_" she bellowed at the top of her lungs.

            "You're acting like a child," said Eden crossing her arms and haughtily sticking her nose in the air. "It's not my fault people like me better than you. Now, put down that goddamn gun before you hurt someone!"

            Lilith's face lit up a bright red as her entire body began to shake with adrenaline. Soon, she squeezed her eyes shut, opened her mouth, and let out a high-pitched scream as she fired off a burst of rounds from her machine gun. She was in the throes of a blind fit of rage and never paid attention to what she was doing. When she stopped and opened her eyes breathing raggedly, she fell to her knees in horror.

            Eden was backed up against the tent her and Vincent had been standing in front of with a look of terrified shock etched on her beautiful face. Beside her lie Vincent's body slumped to the ground. He weakly grasped his stomach as blood began to spill through his fingers and drip down his pants. And in front of Eden lie Zillah face down in the sand. She could see where the bullets tore through her delicate torso and left gored flesh on her back. Blood poured from the wounds with every weak heartbeat she still possessed.

            It was only then that the trauma of warfare truly touched Eden. And it immediately began to drive her stark raving mad. Lilith could barely constrain her and suffered a severe beating before Eden collapsed sobbing profusely. She continued to sob until the ships came to pick them up the next day. Lilith was greatly disturbed by her actions and was able to medically treat Vincent well enough to keep him alive before pick-up. Sadly, Zillah was dead minutes after being shot. She buried her dead sister all the while trying to get Eden to respond to her. By the time the trio reached the Headquarters, Eden was practically catatonic. She eventually began to talk again, but didn't remember anything that had happened. She was soon sentenced to cryogenic freezing, where she slept peacefully unaware of her tragic past.

***

            Spike shifted and stretched. He felt like he had just taken a long, relaxing nap. He yawned half entertaining the thought of going back to sleep when he remembered what had happened before he lost consciousness.

            "Vincent!" he shouted bolting upright on the couch. He nearly fell off the side of it with the sudden movement.

            "What did you say?" asked Faye looking at him as if she had seen a ghost. She was sitting on the chair across from him reading a book. The book was now forgotten as it slid out of her fingers and fell to the floor.

            Spike swung his legs over the side of the couch and rubbed the back of his neck. "I barely recognized him…he cut his hair and shaved…but that voice…I'd know that voice anywhere," he said as if he barely noticed Faye was still sitting there.

            "_Vincent_ was the person that kidnapped Eden?!" asked Faye standing up with a look of shock. "I thought you said he was dead?"

            Spike wearily looked up at her, and then lowered his head shaking it. "Apparently, he's alive and well. He said to tell you 'hello'. Do you guys know each other or something?"

            Faye never responded. She did, however, turn a couple of shades whiter than usual. Spike looked up at her again questioningly. "Where's Jet?" he asked after realizing she wasn't going to answer him.

            "I don't know…I think he's working on the ship," said Faye sitting down again. "He's not taking this very well at all."

            "I figured," replied Spike simply.

            "Well…this is just great. We have no leads and our only clue is that a _psycho_ kidnapped her," said Faye looking every bit as tired as she felt. "And who was that woman? I'm pretty sure it was the same woman that attacked her that one day."

            "That was Lilith, Eden's sister," came Jet's voice as he entered the common room wiping off his greasy hands with a rag. "I'm sorry I wasn't honest with you guys, but…Eden's past isn't pretty."

            "I know who the guy is," announced Spike glancing at Jet.

            "You know the accomplice?!" asked Jet surprised. He ran over to the couch staring expectantly at his comrade. "Well? Who is it?"

            "Do you remember Vincent?" asked Spike.

~*~

            Spike, Faye, and Jet had stayed up half the night trying to formulate a plan of action. Jet had come clean with everything he knew about Eden's past and Spike had told all he really knew of Vincent, which wasn't much. Jet eventually went to bed proclaiming he thought better when rested. After a few moments of silence, Faye stood up and tried to brush past Spike. He grabbed her arm and pulled her down on the couch next to him.

            "Where are you going?" he asked attempting to slide an arm around her waist.

            "To bed," she stated throwing his arm off and standing up again. As she sauntered down the hallway, he followed. He followed her all the way into her bedroom. Sitting on the edge of her bed he patiently watched as she took off her shoes and stripped off her jeans.

            "Need any help with that?" he asked his eyebrow twitching mischievously.

            "Oh, you're still here? I didn't notice," joked Faye throwing her discarded shirt at him. "Do you want something? Or are you just sight seeing?"

            "Sight seeing," he responded. "Wish I had a camera."

            "Hey!" said Faye grabbing her pillow and beating him with it. "Get the hell out, you pervert!"

            Spike laughed easily yanking the pillow out of her grasp. He picked up Faye's half naked body and tossed her playfully onto her bed before pinning her down with his own body. She squirmed giggling beneath him as he kissed her neck.

            "That tickles! Stop!" she laughed. He obeyed her and they locked eyes as he rested his forehead against hers. "Do you think we'll find her?" asked Faye mesmerized by his eyes until they slid shut and he sighed.

            "I hope so…" he said rolling onto his side and staring off into space, "but from the sound of it…I don't think so."

            Faye watched him as he rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. Soon, his breathing became soft and even. She crawled under what little covers she could get to and laid an arm on his chest as she settled in. If Jet was feeling anything like she did the night Spike left to die, she truly pitied the man.

To be continued….

Author's Note:

Okay…this session was a hell of a lot easier to write than the last one. I think my writer's block finally died. You know, I had an English teacher who said that writer's block doesn't really exist. It's just all in our heads. Anyway, I focused waaay too much on Eden's past, but I thought it needed to be done in order for the story to work. You know…I never intended for this fic to be more about Jet and Eden, but I guess that's the main plot. That's why I started my new story "Lethal Attraction". A chance for me to focus more on Spike and Faye. Well, hope you liked it ^_^ Let me know what you think.

To my reviewers:

Kendra Luehr: I'm glad you're so excited about my fic ^_^ I get so serious about it I forget to get excited. I think I might do the love scene thing towards the end of the story…as long as I'm not banned for it's content! I noticed you can write lemony scenes as long as their not too graphic…do they call those "lime" or something??? I don't know…I kinda new to the terminology here. Remember to study! And update!

Rashaka: I'm glad you enjoyed most of the story ^_^ Sorry the last one seemed a little OOC, I actually had a difficult time writing it and I think that lent to Spike seeming weird. I'll try to keep him more Spike-like in the future…it just gets hard every now and then. Oh, and does "mary-sue" mean you base the character after yourself? I'm not sure…but I think that's what it means. If that is the case, Eden's not a mary-sue. I'm really nothing like her (i'm too weird~.^). I swear 0.o Thanks for the constructive criticism, though! It keeps me on my toes!

Outis: Yeah, Vincent is supposed to be dead, but I vaguely explained why he survived in this session. I did start the new story and I promise not to forget this one! Far too much going on…though it may wrap up within four sessions or so…there's no telling with me! Hope you liked the Eden stuff, thanks for reviewing! ^_^

Red-Tenko: Thank you! ^_^ I loved Vincent's character…but I have this thing with loving deranged characters. They're so fun to work with! Electra is not going to be in the story, but as you saw, Gren and Vicious made an appearance ~.^ I thought it was fun to write the "stunned Jet" scenes! Hehe…maybe I'll write more…though poor Jet is a little side tracked at the moment.  Hmmm…Friends…I've seen a couple episodes but don't know it well. I'm mostly a cartoon gal ^_^

Pimpin Satan: Hehe…don't worry, I'm lazy too! Horribly, at times…Yes, Vincent is similar and yet so different from Spike. That's why I think they make great opponents. Hope I did a halfway passable job at making up the Titan War history. Good observation about the war, though…it was deep ~.^ I wasn't too confident about the Spike Faye interaction in the last chapter, so thanks for the boost ^_^

Redeve: Thank you ^_^ Good point on the indepth quality of the characters and story. If we kept them too in character, I don't think half our stories would work. But that's just my opinion. Hmmm….a moment between Vincent and Faye…Good idea! Yeah, I'm subtly changing Spike to actually give a damn about someone *gasp* I believe he would be different when he starts falling in love. God knows I was a simpering idiot when I was in love! 0.o hehe…thanks for the review! 

Cbdbz247: Thank you! ^_^ How lovely! I'm glad I have decent descriptive writing. I know I could be more descriptive, but I don't want to over do it. I'll do my best to bring you more Spike and Fayness! ^.^   


	11. Session 10: Return of the Cowgirl

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Bebop Zen 

Session 10: Return of the Cowgirl

________________________________________________________________________

            Spike woke yet another morning alone in bed. Only this time, it wasn't his bed and he didn't go into freak out mode. Instead, he casually sat up, stretched, and yawned. Having absolutely no clue what time it was, he decided to meander out to the kitchen. He was still fully clothes and grumbled about the wrinkle in his suit on the way.

            One his trudge, he noted the eerie silence and absence of life on the Bebop. It was strange, but no cause for alarm. Peace was a good thing every now and then. When he found his destination, he was greeted by the welcome sight of a fresh pot of coffee.

            _Well, someone is awake,_ he thought while fixing himself a cup. He decided a walk-about was in order and began to noisily scuffle around the Bebop, sipping his cup of joe loaded with sugar.

            He eventually found himself in the hangar walking through the open door. On his way, he noticed the absence of the Hammerhead. The sun instantly assaulted him with its obnoxious, blinding glare. Blinking profusely he waited for his real eye to catch up with its light adjustment to the fake one. Seconds after his sight returned to normal, he saw Faye sitting with her feet dangling over the edge of the deck. He joined her and pulled out a smoke.

            "So, where's Jet?" he asked after lighting his cigarette and taking a drag.

            She turned to look at him, the sun glistening off of her ebony hair. "I don't know. He was gone when I woke up."

            "So much for teamwork," mumbled Spike past his cig. The heat of the rising sun comforted him. "Where are we, anyways?…I forgot what city Jet said this was."

            "I have no idea," said Faye sadly as she lowered her head. "Earth doesn't look anything like I remember it."

            Spike knew he had struck a sensitive cord so he kept quiet. It was best not to provoke a woman in a depressed state. She surprised him by leaning her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

            "Sometimes…I don't know how I made it through everything," she said quietly. "You know, I never thought about it until now…but we have a lot in common."

            "How so?" asked Spike sipping his coffee.

            "We've both almost died twice, and the first time…we lost everything," she said lifting her head from his shoulder. She stared at the water below as if lost in memories.

            "That doesn't matter anymore," he said turning to gaze at her. She was a vision of melancholy beauty sitting next to him. Her skimpy cotton pajamas clung to her pale skin and her soft hair moved gently in the breeze. "We have a future," he finished averting his gaze to the distant sea.

            "I've heard that from you before," she said, a bitter tone in her voice.

            "I meant it when I said it the first time…believe it or not, I was trying to make you feel better," he explained. "When I found out you really didn't remember who you were…it made me think."

            "Think about what?" 

            "About what it would be like to have no past," he answered flicking his spent cigarette into the water. "I have no idea what that would be like, but I imagine it would be difficult."

            "It was," she responded. "But…when it came right down to it, remembering only made everything worse."

            Spike didn't know what to say. So, instead, he stood up and bent over to tug on Faye's shirt. Catching the hint, she clambered to her feet and was startled when he grabbed her hand and led her back into the Bebop. She didn't comment as they arrived at the shower and both crammed into the room. He stripped down to his boxers in record speed then turned his attention to her.

            With a swift movement, he backed her against the wall and let his face linger near her fragrant hair before leaning down to turn on the shower. She moved to take off her camisole but he grabbed her hands and forced them to her sides. Long, tan fingers splayed over her torso underneath the shirt as his lips traveled from her lips, to her jaw line, and then to her neck. Apparently, pent up sexual frustration was a potent force once the floodgates opened.

            Slowly bunching the fabric, Spike began to draw Faye's shirt up and over her head. The sight before him never ceased to put him in a state of temporary awe. Not only were her breasts large and beautifully shaped, but somewhat perky. No wonder she rarely wore a bra. He ran his fingers over the soft curves of flesh before letting them rest on the waistband of her little, white shorts. He hooked his thumb on both the shorts and the strap of her underwear and pulled down leaving her completely naked before him.

            This sight never failed to heat his desire to the boiling point. Faye could feel this "desire" pressing against her stomach through his boxers when he lunged forward to attack her with reverent kisses. In her mind, she would've liked to make a comment about how "lust addled" men were, but quickly forgot this as her own passion rose.

            "Get in the shower," he breathes in a husky voice.

            She obeyed sighing in delight as the hot water cascaded over her body. Seconds later, Spike stepped into the shower naked and it was now bloody apparent that he was aroused. His brown eyes had a lustful, driven look to them as he backed her up against the wall seemingly oblivious to the hot water weighing down his hair. His arms posted themselves on the wall on either side of her body as he leaned down and kissed her shoulder making his way down to her breasts. She tangled her hands in his mop of wet hair and moaned. This action caused him to return his attention to her mouth, practically suffocating her in the process.

            When she came up for air, he chose that opportune moment to impale her. She gasped but it was such a fluid movement that she barely felt it until he froze against her. After allowing her to adjust he proceeded to hammer into her like a frenzied animal. That was the funny thing about Spike Spiegel. Sometimes he took a leisurely approach to making love that lasted hours, and sometimes he just wanted to get off. Faye was fairly amused by the variety. She became even more amused when he lifted her up by the ass and commanded her to wrap her legs around him. He seemed to enjoy this position breathing heavily against her neck as she wrapped her arms around him for more support. The whole session lasted about ten erotic minutes and had been quite the enjoyable workout.

            Spike's knees gave out and he collapsed to the bottom of the tub with a thump, Faye in tow. She giggled as he fought to catch his breath.

            "That was…interesting," she said as she reached out her hand to push back his wet bangs.

            "Yeah, sorry…I'll go longer next time," he responded staring at her with a smirk plastered on his face.

            "No worries. It was fun," she smiled. "But, we had better clean up while there's still hot water to be had."

            Spike nodded and the two untangled themselves from each other and stood up to partake in the wonders of soap.

*** 

            Now clean and clothed, Spike and Faye were lounging in the common room.

            "I'm hungry. Go cook something," demanded Faye as she blew out a puff of smoke.

            Spike laughed from his position next to her on the couch. "In your dreams. You know I can't do that shit. You're the woman. Aren't you supposed to do the cooking?" he asked. 

            "Aren't you the sexist pig!" she retaliated lightly punching him on the arm. "Hey…can I ask you a question?"

            "Sure, but I may not answer," he said propping his hands behind his head and sticking his boots on the coffee table.

            "Fair enough," she shrugged. "Uhm…what do you think about…uh…kids?"

            Her question was regarded with an expression on weary disbelief. "Why?" he asked almost sounding defensive.

            "Oh, no reason," said Faye blushing slightly. "I was just wondering if you still hate them…you know…after having Ed around for a while…"

            Spike let out an exasperated sigh and closed his eyes as if trying to relax. "Well, I guess she wasn't that bad…as long as she was being quiet. Other than that, kids are annoying."

            Before Faye could respond, the hangar door opened. They heard Jet's ship rumble to a stop and silence ensued for several minutes. The next thing they heard was a rather loud crashing sound that made them think that Jet's ship had hit something. They both leapt to their feet and started running for the hangar. When they were almost there, they heard giggling.

            "What did he do…pick up another stray woman?" deadpanned Spike as the two finally emerged into the hangar. Both stopped dead in their tracks.

            Around the fallen toolbox and scattered tools, danced a spunky red head and her dog. Jet stood nearby, holding bags and laughing. Normally, having his tools abused would've pissed him off to no end, but he was in rather high spirits after finding his lost crewmates. 

            "Faye-Faye! Spike-person! Ed is back!" sang the teenager bouncing over to the stunned duo. She hugged them both before prancing off to run in circles, Ein barking at her heels.

            Jet noticed Spike and Faye's stark expressions of shock and walked over to them.

            "She's been tracking us since she left," he explained. "I got a call from her this morning asking if she could come back."

            "Well, speak of the devil," muttered Spike. "We were just talking about her."

            Jet merely smiled before yelling, "Come on, Ed! Go grab Tomato! We have some hunting to do!"

***   

            "Why?" asked Eden to Vincent who sat nearby at the control panel of his ship.

            "Why what, love?" he asked.

            "Why did you let _her_ help you? She almost killed you…"

            "That was an accident," said Vincent swiveling the chair he sat in around to face her. "Besides, Lilith may have shot me but she also saved my life."

            Eden frowned turning her head from him. "You know…they're going to find me."

            "Who? The Bebop crew?" Vincent laughed in a subtle manner. "Even if they do manage to find us, I'll kill them all before they can touch you."

            "You've changed," she said, her voice full of disgust.

            "No…I believe it is you that has changed," he said thoughtfully stroking his chin while inspecting her with his hard, blue eyes. "I remember a time when nothing thrilled you more than killing."

            "I was young and it was something I excelled at," she said in a dejected tone, still avoiding his intrusive eyes. "That doesn't mean it was a good thing to take joy in. Looking back on it, I can't believe I had such a disregard for life."

            "What's not to believe about it?" he asked slowly rising to his feet and walking over to her at a lazy pace. He crouched before her shackled body draping his arms over his knees. "You were engineered and trained to be an effective killer. It is your fate."

            "_No!_" she screamed back loudly. "I met someone who showed me that's not all there is to me. I am not bound by the woman I used to be! Being that woman drove me insane!"

            He shook his head. "What drove you insane was losing your dear sister and lover at the same time by the hands of someone you thought you could trust…someone of your own blood."

            Eden's bright eyes teared up at the memory of her sister, Zillah. "I hate her," she said quietly referring to Lilith. "I _hate_ her! She doesn't deserve to be alive! Zillah does!"

            Vincent merely lowered his head and stroked Eden's hair as she tried to calm herself.

            "I can't help it…I want to kill her," she whispered as tears began to drip down her cheeks. "I want revenge."

            Lilith suddenly strode onto the bridge, her shapely, long legs moving with fluid ease. She wore a tank top and her shoulder was wrapped in a blood soaked length of gauze. Eden immediately strained against her restraints like a caged animal. Vincent moved back and stood up to avoid her struggle. Lilith sat down at the control panel flipping her long, blond hair over her shoulder in a haughty manner.

            "How is your wound, Lilith?" asked Vincent strolling over to her.

            "It's fine," she responded typing in coordinates then checking the ship's stats.

            "How's your head?" he asked.

            "What? There's nothing wrong with…"

            A deafening gunshot resonated throughout the ship. Eden stared in horror as her only living sister's brain matter splattered against the wall next to the control panel. Lilith's body was thrown from the chair to crumple lifeless to the metal floor. Vincent, with his gun smoking in his hand, kicked her body to that her decimated head rolled to face Eden. Her light blue eyes were open wide with shock and her slightly ajar mouth and nose leaked blood. The gaping hole in her skull continued to spill its essence forming a dark red pool that soaked through her bright hair and covered the surrounding floor.

            The only sound Eden could manage to make while staring into her sister's dead, dulling eyes was a wretched, high-pitched scream.

***  

            _Tak, tak, tak, tak, tak._

            Edward's fingers flew over Tomato's keyboard in her ceaseless effort to find Eden. She was currently in the common room tapping away with Ein sleeping peacefully beside her on the floor. Jet poked his head out of the kitchen to holler. 

            "Ed! Find anything yet?!"

            "No, but Ed is hungry!"

            "Dinner's almost ready. Where's Spike and Faye?" he asked while throwing a cautious glance to his cooking food. The fire incident had made him paranoid.

            "Haven't seen them!" Ed sang her answer.

"Did you hear that?" asked Faye.

"No," answered Spike giving her a slight squeeze. They were hiding out in his room, sitting in the dark. He had insisted that she sit between his legs and had then wrapped his arms around her. She found it amazingly comforting, but highly odd.

"You know…you're like a mystery to me," she said leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

"Why is that?" he drawled.

"Well, there's this whole other side to you that I never knew existed. It's weird," she said catching the musky scent of his hair.

"Maybe to you, it's weird, but this is just who I am," he said, his breath brushing against her cheek. "Besides, I never had a reason to show this side of me to you before."

Faye smiled slightly as she felt his warm lips tenderly kiss her cheek searching for her mouth. She tilted her head at a slightly uncomfortable angle and met his lips briefly. The sound of Ed screaming and laughing distracted them. Not even a few seconds passed and they heard her bounding down the hallway. Much to their dismay, the door to Spike's room suddenly flew open.

"There you are! Guess what?! Guess what?!" she asked jumping up and down, apparently not fazed by the sight before her. She didn't wait for them to respond before spilling the good news. "Dinner is ready and Ed found Eden-lady!"

~*~

"So, how did you find her?" asked Faye poking her chopsticks into Jet's latest culinary wonder.

Ed stopped shoveling food and proceeded to talk with her mouth full. "Jet-person said Vincent had Eden-lady, so, I looked for him. Under a fake-person identity, Vincent bought an old ship…like Bebop Bebop! After that, it was easy to track Eden-lady."

"Great," said Faye wrinkling her nose at the particles of food that had sprayed from Ed's mouth when she spoke.

"Is there a plan of action?" asked Spike nearly finished with his dinner. His shoveling capabilities were up there with Ed's.

"Well…the element of surprise isn't going to work if they don't land. I have a feeling Vincent would see us coming from miles away, even in our personal ships," said Jet, the gears turning in his logical head.

"We could wait until they land," suggested Spike polishing off the last of his mystery meal. He found that the worse the food tasted, the faster you should eat it. Starving certainly wasn't an option.

"No time," said Jet shooting the idea down. "We move in as soon as possible and hope for the best. I'll get a loose game plan together once Ed brings up the ship's schematics."

"Aw, come on, Jet. You should know by now that game plans never work for us," joked Faye between bites of questionable food.

"Let's hope they do this time," said Jet in a grave tone. "Or we're all in trouble."

To be Continued…

Author's Note: This chapter wasn't as long as I would've liked, but it felt right to break it off here. I did, however, get much more Spike and Faye into this one, which I love to write. My first attempt at a tame lemon too. I felt I could've been more descriptive, but I don't want to go overboard on the sexual stuff. And, I also felt the need to bring Ed and Ein back. Came to me suddenly and I couldn't resist. She's fun to write and livens up the serious parts. Well, let me know what you think. This one will be coming to a conclusion soon, but I have a sequel planned.

To the Reviewers:

Pimpin Satan: Unfortunately, Vicious won't be reoccurring in this fic. But of course you know I wrote another one to fulfill that passion. His character is kinda hard to work with too since he's so unemotional and mysterious. Hope I do okay 0.o Thanks for bringing up the Spike Faye relationship point. It made me think too…I don't know if that's a bad thing, since it's my fic. It seems to write itself sometimes, so I have to stop and think about the interaction more.

Red Tenko: I'm glad you liked the chapter, even if it was too focused on Eden. Sometimes, I have to get into the sticky stuff of plot development, as I'm sure you well understand. Your story has a very intricate plot. And I agree that having Spike and Faye too angsty does get irritating. There has to be a fine balance. Sorry, my update wasn't as quick as last time. School and work started stealing my time. We're having Race Week down here soon too, which means I will be very busy…*sigh* Thanks for the review ^_^

Rashaka: Thank you for explaining that to me. I was kind of confused on the exact meaning and that cleared it up very nicely and thoroughly. I really didn't purposely try to make Eden a mary sue, though, so it kinda shocked me to see that she fits most of those qualities. Though, I must say, if I chose a character to fall in love with, it would definitely be Spike ^.~  Thanks for the compliments and explanation! 

Kendra Luehr: Yep, Eden's been through the grinder. I have this thing for tragic characters. So much emotional strife ^.~ I'm glad you like Zillah, though I didn't focus too much on her. I did feel like I had to involve the other Bebop characters, since it was the Titan War and all. Thanks for the compliments and I hope to get another Lethal Attraction chappie up soon. I've just been focused on trying to wrap this one up. Much brainstorming. ^_^

Brigidforest: Awwww! Thank you! ^_^ The encouragement really helps. I feel the same way. If you're gonna write, write for yourself. It's more about doing what you enjoy than following rules. That's the wonderful thing about fiction. And I like original characters too, though they do seem to catch a lot of flack on FF.net. It does get hard though, when you're trying to write a new story and you feel extremely limited with the characters you have to work with. Not that I don't LOVE the Bebop characters, there's just times when I feel an OC spices things up very nicely. Thanks again!

Outis: Yep! Jet sure does deserve the spotlight every now and then! I really dig all of the Bebop characters, so I don't mind using them all. So much potential. Thanks for the review and not being annoyed by the Eden stuff. I didn't draw it out too long, so it wouldn't be painful to read or anything. I have decided to do a sequel like I promised you if the ending wasn't all flowers and rainbows (I know, I know…I'm sarcastic, sorry) I think the ending will be a mix of happy/saddish. But, I don't know for sure.


	12. Session 11: Closure

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

Bebop Zen 

Session 11: Closure

            _"You **bastard!**"_ screamed Eden regaining her senses. She struggled against her shackles then resorted to pulling steadily against them. The metal creaked and the restraints eventually gave way one by one under her effort. She stalked over to Vincent and clamped a hand around his neck slamming him against the control panel.

            Vincent remained calm. "What's wrong? I thought you wanted her dead," he choked out.

            "Yes, and **_I_** wanted to kill her!" spat Eden rage burning in her light eyes.

            "Are you going to kill me?" he asked in a weakening voice. "I guess…you are bound by the woman you used to be."

            Her grip on his neck loosened and her intense glare broke from his. As her hand slipped from his neck, he spread his arms and caught her in a tight embrace. She reluctantly relaxed against him though her arms lie limp at her sides as the shackles scraped the floor. One of his hands moved up to once again stroke her hair.

            "I want you to stay with me," he whispered. "You don't belong with them. They don't understand you."

            "But…I don't know you anymore," she responded weakly. "I…don't love you anymore."

            "You will. Give it time."

***  

            "There they are," said Jet making visual confirmation of Vincent's ship through the bridge's windows. It was a tiny speck in space, but he knew that was it. "Is everyone ready?"

            "Yeah, let's go before I forget the game plan," said Spike dressed in his space suit and already heading for the hangar. Also dressed in her space suit, Faye wordlessly followed him. Truth be told, she was a little nervous about encountering Vincent again.

            "Ed, you know what to do," said Jet as he passed her in the common room.

            "Aye, aye, Captain!" she replied saluting him. Ein barked in agreement.

            Faye clambered up the side of the Swordfish and landed limps askew on Spike's lap. He sighed in agitation as she straightened out, pushing against his face for balance at one point.

            "Sorry," she mumbled.

            "I don't know how he comes up with these ridiculous plans," said Spike reaching around Faye to start up the engine.

            "It's not ridiculous. You distract him with your flashy moves, I sneak around and find Eden, Jet stays outside by the hatch to pick her up," said Faye.

            "Yeah, but why do you have to ride with me?" he complained.

            "Because, stupid, if I fly my own ship, Vincent will know I'm there. That's not good for sneaking around."

            Spike leant forward to grip the handles smashing Faye between him and the controls. A second later, the Swordfish took off. The Hammerhead coasted behind them.

            "So, whatever did happen between you two?" asked Spike in a low, even tone.

            Many disturbing images flashed through her mind and she struggled to find the right words to express herself. "He…he saved my life, kinda. Then he asked me to be with him after the world ended."

            "What did you say about that?"

            She smiled. "That I'd rather be dead than be with someone like him."

***   

            He knew they were on his ship before he even heard a shoe fall. He knew which hatch they slipped through also, even though they had barely made a noise. It was like a predator sensing its prey. Besides, he knew the day would come when he would once again battle Spike Spiegel. They were kindred spirits, destined to oppose each other.

            Eden wasn't with him and he knew that could possibly be a problem. She was close enough, though, that he felt he could protect her. He stood up from his seat at the control panel casting a glance at Lilith's dead body, which he hadn't bothered to move. It was a shame he had had to kill her. She would have been a valuable asset in his present situation.

            Spike cautiously peered around the bridge from the hallway. His heart sped up when he saw Vincent standing with his back to him. He then noticed the disturbing sight of Lilith's body surrounded by blood. After seeing her brain matter on the wall, he knew she was dead. Oh well, no time for being shocked.

            "Vincent!" he shouted, gun aimed once again. Meeting up with him this way brought back memories of their first encounter. He had damn near died by the hands of that man during that encounter. He briefly wondered if the same would happen today.

            "Spike Spiegel," drawled Vincent his back still turned on his opponent. "I thought we could settle this like real men. Simply shooting each other wouldn't show any skill on our parts."

            As an answer to Vincent's statement, Spike shot to kill. Unfortunately, Vincent was too fast. Within seconds, he dodged the bullet and kicked the gun out of Spike's hand. The men then had no other choice but to engage in combat without any weapon but their bodies.

~*~

            Faye heard a gunshot blast and jumped despite herself. She then heard assorted scuffling and crashing noises and knew the men were fighting. Damn testosterone. It was now or never. As she crept down corridors searching for Eden, she prayed Spike wouldn't have another one of his famous near death experiences.

            She heard some commotion coming from a room she almost passed. As slowly and quietly as she could manage, she cracked the door open and peeked inside. Eden sat on a bed cleaning off her bloody wrists. Faye nearly jumped for joy as she slipped into the room.

            Eden looked up from her task, startled. "Faye! What are you doing here?!"

            _"Shhhhh!"_ hissed Faye. "Are you okay?" she asked glancing from the shackles lying on the floor to her friend's torn up wrists and ankles.

            "Yeah…I'm fine," she answered looking down with a dejected expression.

            "Good. Let's get out of here while Vincent's still distracted," said Faye with an urgent look in her eyes.

            Eden didn't answer. She merely rose to her feet and stood there. Faye grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. Before she knew what happened, she felt cold steel collide with her head and immediately lost consciousness. Eden stepped back to let Faye's body collapse to the floor with a thud.

            "Eden, stay in the room," demanded Vincent with Spike's gun in his hand. She nodded meekly and sat back down on the bed.

~*~

            Spike woke with a start. That bastard had actually managed to knock him out. He sat up and shook his head clear. Faye was lying next to him out cold. It didn't surprise him. Vincent probably had their whole crummy plan figured out by now. Looking around him briefly, the ship reminded him of the Bebop. It wasn't an old fishing ship, but it had that older, worn industrial look to it.

            "Surprised you're still alive?"

            Spike's head snapped in the direction of Vincent's voice. "Not really," he lied in response.

            Faye moaned and shifted though she remained unconscious. Spike cast a worried glance at her almost immediately regretting his display of emotion.

            "She is quite attractive, isn't she?" said Vincent smiling at her fallen form. "I suppose that was one of the reasons I didn't kill her the first time we met."

            "Why did you kidnap Eden?" asked Spike trying to ignore his steadily rising rage. He hadn't liked the way Vincent had looked at Faye one bit.

            "I love her," answered Vincent matter-of-factly. 

            "What about Electra?"

            Vincent appeared to flinch at the question. "It is better for Electra to believe I am dead," he said with a slightly sad tone to his voice.

            Silence ruled the room for a few minutes. Vincent slowly approached Spike sending him into fight or flight mode. Not really being one to back down, he jumped to his feet and fell into a fighting stance. As Vincent raised his arm, Spike noticed his Jericho was being aimed at his head. Panic raced through his mind though it didn't show on his face.

            "Well, Mr. Spiegel, if you're done asking questions, it's time to say good bye."

            Normally, Spike wouldn't have cared about the threat of death. He had faced it a countless number of times. The only thing that had made a difference, the only thing that changed his attitude, was a woman. Two to be exact, but only one was currently on his mind.

            "Are you going to kill her too?" he asked sternly.

            "Probably," said Vincent, his face an emotionless slate.

            What happened next could be best described as chaos. A gunshot fired. Spike tensed in anticipation of the impact, but instead saw a blur of motion fly past him. The thump of a falling body and another gunshot sounded. After this, Spike was finally able to gather what the hell had just happened.

            Jet lie on the floor to his right, bleeding. Faye was now conscious and holding her smoking glock. Vincent held his gored right hand that Faye had apparently shot. She climbed to her feet and took a step forward. Her gun was perfectly aimed at Vincent's forehead. Staring into his eyes she searched for an emotion, _any_ emotion, that would convince her not to kill him. They seemed so cold and were the color of the darkest oceans she remembered from Earth. To her, he was like the walking dead. The spark of life had abandoned his eyes almost entirely.

            "Don't do it, Faye," came Jet's gruff voice as he struggled to his feet. There was blood soaking through his clothes on his right shoulder where the bullet had hit.

            "Why not?" she asked evenly.

            "Because…I want to kill the son of a bitch," he answered walking forward obviously in pain.

            Faye looked back at him, and then handed over her glock. He took it in his mechanical hand seeing his other arm was now useless. Getting a good grip on the gun, he walked until it was pressed firmly against Vincent's forehead. Vincent offered no resistance. 

            "So…you're the man she fell in love with," he said staring into Jet's stern blue eyes.

            "I don't know if she loves me…but I love her, and I'll be damned if I let a sick bastard like you have her. She deserves better."

            Vincent smiled. "I suppose the dream is finally over then. I only have one request."

            "What's that?" asked Jet.

            "Take good care of her."

            "I will…for as long as she'll let me," said Jet.

            A final shot sounded and Vincent drew his last breath. His body collapsed near Lilith's and his blood mingled with hers. As Jet stared at him, he began to grow light headed. Spike noticed him stagger and lunged forward to catch his body before it fell. Faye joined in to help Spike ease their heavy comrade to the floor. They didn't notice Eden standing in the hallway smiling.

***  

            Jet opened his eyes to behold the rotating blades of the ceiling fan. He tried to sit up, but pain coursed through his shoulder. It was then he noticed it was wrapped up in gauze. 

            "Oh! You're awake!" said Eden rushing over to him.

            Jet's mind was in shock as he watched her dark hair settle around her shoulders as she knelt beside the couch to smile down at him. Tears fell from her lime green eyes as she leaned over to lay a light kiss on his lips. She then took his real hand in hers and gripped it tightly.

            "How do you feel?" she asked.

            "Wonderful," he responded smiling up at her. He was so elated that she had kissed him that he forgot he was in pain.

            "I heard what you said to Vincent."

            "You did?" he asked blushing slightly.

            "Yes, and I love you too," she answered.

            As she leaned her head against his chest, avoiding the wound, the only thing that Jet could think was that he was the happiest man in the galaxy.

~*~

            "**_Ow!_**" shouted Faye clenching her fists.

            "Stop being such a baby," said Spike dabbing at the gash in Faye's head where Vincent had pistol-whipped her.

            "You know…I really want to punch you right now," she said through grit teeth.

            "You can try, but I wouldn't suggest it," he said smirking at her.

            She growled, and then sighed. "It was a good thing Ed brought the ship to us last night. Otherwise, I don't know how we would've got Jet and the Hammerhead back.

            "Yeah, she's a little lifesaver sometimes with those hacking skills." He finished and sat back looking out the windows of the bridge.

            "Ed really likes Eden," said Faye with a faint smile.

            "Took to her in no time flat. Ed likes people who pay attention to her."

            Just as Spike finished speaking, Ed bounced onto the bridge. "Jet-person is awake and Eden-lady is hugging him!" she sang happily.

            "That's great," mumbled Spike trying to ignore the racket.

            "Well, it looks like things are back to normal," said Faye rolling her eyes.

Epilogue: The Calm After the Storm

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jet's POV

            Two months passed before my shoulder felt somewhat normal again. While I was healing, I took the opportunity to teach Eden how to cook. She ended up being a pretty damn good chef and insisted she do all the cooking from now on. We've become rather intimate during these months, and I must say, she's everything I had ever dreamed I'd find. I thought that part of my life was over, but I was apparently wrong. She's also taken to Ed like a mother giving the girl much needed feminine influence.

            One night, I remember teaching Eden how to trim the bonsai trees, which I wasn't all that great at clipping with my left hand. She proved to be an excellent student…actually, she was better at it than I was, never trimming too much. At one point, I sat and watched her work. She stopped and looked at me.

            "Jet…why do you take care of these bonsai?" she asked, her beautiful, bright eyes searching mine.

            "Because it's my Zen," I answered.

            "Zen?" she asked with a puzzled expression.

            "Yep. To me, Zen is a relaxed and focused state of mind…you get so involved in what your doing, you find peace in it," I explained.

            Understanding graced her features and she smiled warmly before returning to her inspection of the tree she was shaping.

            "So, I guess finding your Zen is like finding your peace in life," she said after some silent thought.

            "Exactly. Though, I must admit, bonsai trees aren't my only form of Zen anymore."

            I scooted closer to her on the bench and wrapped my functioning arm around her waist. She leaned against me and I kissed her cheek. Ed chose that moment, as she usually did, to burst into a fit of giggles from the door where she sat spying on us.

            "Come here, little girl!" said Eden in that rich and sweet voice of hers.

            Ed ran over to her laughing the whole way. Eden caught her in a hug pulling the girl onto her lap. She tickled her bringing forth delighted laughter from both of them.

            "We're like a family now!" said Ed while Eden hung onto her.

            "Yeah, I guess we are," I said awkwardly. Oddly enough, the thought hadn't occurred to me until the kid mentioned it. It was a comforting thought. I had always wanted a family of my own, though I kept that desire hidden and buried for far too many years.

            Ed escaped from Eden's arms to prance around the room. She stopped at the door. 

            "Ed had never had a real family before," she said attempting to be serious. "But, now that I do, I'm glad it's with Jet-person and Eden-lady!" That said, she skipped away out of sight.

            "She's so cute," said Eden fondly.

            "Yeah…" I was just surprised the kid had actually referred to herself as "I" instead of "Ed" a couple of times.

            "I told you I regained most of my memories, right?" asked Eden turning to face me.

            "Yes," I answered.

            "Well…I used to be…a pretty bad person," she stammered uncomfortably, "and I used to love Vincent."

            "I gathered as much."

            "I…I just wanted you to know that I'm not that woman anymore…and it's all thanks to you." She smiled shyly at me.

            "Me? What did I do?" I asked genuinely confused.

            She wrapped her arms around my neck cleverly refraining from putting too much pressure on my injured shoulder. "You showed me who I really was." After saying that, she leaned over and kissed me.

            Life is good.

***   

Spike's POV

Life was good.

            Faye and I continued to bicker and catch bounties until Jet got better. It was a fine mixture of bliss and torture being with that woman. She knew how to piss me off and turn me on all in one foul swoop. She almost always presented some sort of challenge to me, but it was all right. I liked a challenge. And I think my sex life was at its prime thanks to her. She never left me lacking in that department.

            Three months passed as everyone got accustomed to each other once again. It was a little difficult trying to maneuver around one more female, a kid, and a dog, but I managed somehow. Faye moved into my room so that Ed actually had a place to sleep, though she neglected it.

            It was at the end of the third month that Faye started acting…strange. She had always been a bit standoffish, but that month she began to grow unusually distant. I tried to talk to her, ask her what was wrong, and all I got from her were vague responses.

            Then it happened.

            This may sound really stupid, but I didn't see it coming. I left to get supplies and when I got back to the Bebop, Faye was gone. No one knew where she had gone and thought I was overacting. I figured they were probably right. She probably just ran off to gamble or go on a shopping spree. When I went to relax in my room, I realized something was very wrong.

            Most of her stuff was gone along with her. That was when I snapped. I somewhat recall yelling, throwing and breaking things, and then being restrained by Jet…and Eden. When I calmed down, they tried to reassure me she'd be back soon. But a night turned into a week, and a week into a month…and she didn't come back.

            I don't know what I did to drive her off, but I do know one thing. I will find her. No matter what it takes.

Fin

~*~

Author's Note: Awwwww! What a crappy way for me to end this story, huh? I thought so, but it made it possible for me to continue it in the sequel and base it more on Spike and Faye. I've already written some of it, but with my hectic schedule, it may be a couple weeks before I post it. So, keep an eye out! There is a second part to this saga. I wouldn't leave you all hanging. I also hope I can get another Lethal Attraction chapter out too…that one is partially written too…..just not typed. Heh. Anyway, please don't hate me. I will redeem myself.


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